NC teenager infected with brain-eating amoeba has died. What we know

A central North Carolina teenager who contracted a brain-eating amoeba has died.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that the teenager passed away on Aug. 31 and extended condolences to his family and community.

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Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled organism found in fresh water that destroys brain tissue. It is not found in salt water or correctly maintained pools.

Brain-eating amoeba cases

Naegleria fowleri infects people after water containing the amoeba goes up the nose. It causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis. While fewer than 10 people typically die of primary amebic meningoencephalitis yearly, nearly everyone who has it dies, according to the Center for Disease Control.

A Louisiana child died of Naegleria fowleri on Aug. 8, shortly after her eighth birthday. Previous reporting by The Guardian shows that rising temperatures associated with climate change have caused the rare illness to be seen in the Midwest, along with the South.

In 2019, an infection was reported in Cumberland County. In 2016, a college student died of an infection after capsizing a raft at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Her family eventually settled with the center, The Observer previously reported.

The infections typically occur in hot weather, as the amoeba grows best at 115 degrees Fahrenheit. NCDHHS is coordinating with the CDC and local health partners to investigate the source of the infection.

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Preventing Naegleria fowleri

While it isn’t possible to entirely eliminate Naegleria fowleri from the environment, some safety precautions can help, according to NCDHHS.

• Prevent water going up your nose by holding your nose shut, using nose clips or keeping your head above water in fresh water
• Avoid putting your head underwater in hot springs and thermal waters
• Avoid jumping into warm freshwater during periods of high water temperatures combined with low water levels
• Avoid disturbing the sediment during water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas

GoFundMe

NCDHHS did not name the teenager in the original reporting or the confirmation of death to protect the privacy of the patient and family. Four days before the illness was announced on Aug. 27, Monica Mendoza wrote in Spanish on GoFundMe that her son, Moises Ponce Mendoza, was fighting for his life in UNC Hospitals due to infection.

Mendoza’s GoFundMe originally asked for $7,500 to cover medical expenses. On Aug. 28, the GoFundMe had raised $2,000, The News & Observer previously reported.

As of midday Sept. 1, the GoFundMe has raised $9,700 of a $10,000 donation goal.

Parts of this story were previously published in The Charlotte Observer.