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Naegleria fowleri infection in North Carolina

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2026-09-02 17:20 UTC → 2026-09-05 19:58 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The teenager in central North Carolina, identified by his mother as Moises Ponce Mendoza, has died after contracting Naegleria fowleri. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the death, noting that the infection, which causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is frequently fatal with mortality rates around 97 percent. According to family accounts, symptoms began with a severe headache. Following an initial hospital visit in Burlington on August 21, the teenager’s condition deteriorated rapidly. He was transferred to UNC Hospital, where medical professionals identified the infection. He remained in a coma while specialists attempted to manage the disease before he passed away on August 31. Recent reports clarify that Mendoza was 17 years old and had been treated at Alamance Regional Medical Center before his transfer to UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill. His family, noting his love for soccer and swimming, is currently seeking answers regarding the source of his exposure, as they remain uncertain how the infection occurred despite frequent visits to various lakes and pools. This case follows a recent death in Louisiana involving 8-year-old Lillian Smart, who also succumbed to the amoeba after swimming in a lake. Experts suggest that rising water temperatures in lakes, rivers, and ponds during warmer months can increase the presence of the organism, which enters the brain when contaminated warm freshwater is forced up the nose. State epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore noted that the presence of the amoeba serves as a reminder for caution when swimming in warm freshwater environments during hot months.

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