By Diana Bletter Follow
6 September 2026, 2:21 pm
Nine-year-old #hospitalized in intensive care unit as #HealthMinistry identifies #infection caused by rare, potentially fatal #NaegleriaFowleri.
A 9-year-old child was hospitalized in serious condition with #inflammation of the brain in the intensive care unit at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, the Health Ministry said Sunday, after being #infected with a very rare “ #BrainEating” #Amoeba, apparently while swimming in the Sea of Galilee.
Tests sent to the ministry’s #laboratory overnight confirmed that the boy contracted an #encephalitis #infection from Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that can be fatal.
He was identified in #Hebrew media as Baruch Neriya from Pardes Hannah. His #family asked that people pray for the recovery of their son. The ministry said he is sedated and intubated at the #hospital.
An initial epidemiological #investigation revealed that the #child swam at Kursi Beach on the Sea of Galilee about a week before he was hospitalized.