North Carolina teen who contracted rare brain-eating amoeba dies

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A North Carolina teenager infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba died Monday, according to state health officials.

The unidentified patient was first reported to be infected with Naegleria fowleri August 27 but no further details were shared. The amoeba is commonly found in warm bodies of freshwater, such as rivers and lakes.

Exposure can result in a brain infection known as “primary amebic meningoencephalitis” that leads to seizures, comas and usually death in around five days. Fewer than 10 people are infected each year in the United States but 97 percent die.

“We extend our condolences to the family, friends and community impacted by this loss,” a department spokesperson told the The Independent in an email.

“To protect the family’s privacy, no further information will be released.”

The brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri is seen in this image from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A North Carolina teen infected with the amoeba has died, state health officials say (CDC)

The death is the second in the U.S. in two months. Lillian Smart, an eight-year-old from Louisiana, died in August after she likely contracted Naegleria fowleri while swimming in a lake, the state’s health department said.

Part of the reason why there may be more infections this summer is the record heat.

The amoeba thrives in higher temperatures and North Carolina has been threatened by multiple sweltering heat domes with triple-digit temperatures over the past couple of months.

Infections typically occur when it’s been hot for prolonged periods of time. Federal data shows most of the 157 cases diagnosed from 1937-2025 occurred in July and August.

Experts say there is no way to eliminate the amoeba from the environment – but there are steps people can take to stay safe during peak exposure times.

This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map shows the states with the most infections from Naegleria fowleri between 1937-2025. Southern and Mid-Atlantic states have reported the most cases, indicated by their dark blue shading. The states with the fewest cases are in gradually lighter blues (CDC)

People should avoid entering warm freshwater, especially in the South and Mid-Atlantic.

Those regions have the majority of cases, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map shows.

If you do enter freshwater, avoid dunking your head under or hold your nose before jumping in to prevent water rushing up your nose.

“The amoeba does not cause illness if swallowed but can be fatal if water with the amoeba in it is forced up the nose into the brain, which can occur by jumping into water, diving, water-skiing or other water activities,” North Carolina health officials warn.

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