Teen’s brain-eating amoeba infection likely linked to water feature

A North Carolina teenager who died after contracting a rare brain infection caused by a microscopic amoeba was most likely exposed through contact with a water feature at a local community center, according to state health officials.

The teen, identified by his family as 17-year-old Moises Ponce Mendoza, died on Aug. 31, four days after health officials reported he was critically ill and undergoing treatment for the infection. The rare brain infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that is commonly found in warm freshwater.

An investigation could not conclusively determine where the teen was exposed, according to a report released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Sept. 15. But health officials said interviews and environmental testing indicated that a water feature at El Futuro, a community-based mental health care center in Durham County, was the most likely source.

The water feature was closed on Aug. 28 by the Durham County Department of Health and later tested positive for Naegleria fowleri at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The water feature remains closed to the public, according to health officials.

"NC Department of Health and Human Services and Durham County Public Health informed…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/