Naegleria fowleri detection in Yucatán, Mexico

Following the detection of Naegleria fowleri—a lethal microorganism found in warm freshwater that causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis—authorities in Yucatán, Mexico, have closed six artificial recreational lakes in Mérida. The closures follow the death of a 33-year-old water sports instructor in September who contracted the organism.

The affected water bodies include lakes at Plaza La Isla, Cabo Norte, the Centenario Zoo, Gran Parque La Plancha, and the Parque Ecológico del Poniente. While the surrounding parks remain open, contact with the water in these specific locations is strictly prohibited. Sanitation procedures are being conducted with support from the Autonomous University of Yucatán and Cinvestav.

Health officials have increased sanitary surveillance of natural freshwater sinkholes, or cenotes, in the region. Experts have clarified that the risk to domestic water tanks is extremely low due to municipal chlorination and water circulation. They noted that the amoeba typically thrives in warm, stagnant freshwater and is transmitted when water is forced into the nose during activities like swimming or diving, rather than through drinking or person-to-person contact. Yucatán’s Secretary of Health, Alberto Alcocer, has advised individuals to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms appear after contact with the water.