North Carolina Teenager Dies After Rare Naegleria fowleri Infection

A North Carolina teenager has died from an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a single-celled organism commonly found in warm freshwater, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The agency said the boy died on August 31, 2026. It had reported several days earlier that he was critically ill and receiving medical care. His mother, Monica Mendoza, identified him as Moises Ponce Mendoza in an online fundraiser. A person who described himself as a close relative also said on Facebook that the teenager had died. Mendoza wrote that her son’s illness began with severe headaches. According to her account, she took him to a hospital in Burlington on August 21, but he was sent home after a brief examination. His condition worsened, and she brought him to the emergency department at the University of North Carolina hospital the following morning. Doctors then diagnosed an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, she said. The infection can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists symptoms including severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures and coma. The illness can progress quickly and is often fatal; the CDC says more than 97% of people who contract it die. Naegleria fowleri is generally found in warm ponds, lakes and rivers. Health officials say it is harmless when swallowed, but it can cause infection when contaminated water enters through the nose and reaches the brain. The organism is not found in saltwater or properly maintained, chlorinated swimming pools. Fewer than 10 cases are usually reported in the United States each year, according to the North Carolina health department. Officials advise people swimming in warm freshwater to keep their heads above water, use nose clips or hold their noses shut, and avoid diving, jumping or disturbing sediment in shallow areas. The teenager’s death followed that of an eight-year-old Louisiana girl who also contracted a Naegleria fowleri infection. Louisiana health officials said she may have been infected while swimming in Lake Claiborne. Researchers have also warned that the amoeba has been detected in some parts of the United States where it was not traditionally found.