Durham water feature linked to teen's death
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El Futuro's water feature. Photo: Courtesy of NCDHHS
A water feature at the Durham nonprofit El Futuro was the likely source of a rare brain-eating amoeba that infected and killed a local teenager in August, a state investigation found.
The big picture: Naegleria fowleri infections are rare but progress quickly and are nearly always fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Between 1962 and 2024, 167 infections were documented in the U.S., per CDC data. Only four people survived.
Zoom in: The unidentified minor died on Aug. 31, nine days after being admitted to the hospital. Labs found N. fowleri present, according to the North Carolina Communicable Disease Branch report obtained by WRAL.
- The week before hospitalization, he swam at an apartment complex pool in Orange County and splashed water onto his face from the manmade creek outside El Futuro in Durham, his family told public health investigators. He may also have swum in two Alamance County ponds.
The latest: CDC investigators collected samples at all locations. N. fowleri DNA was only detected in the water at El Futuro.
- The water feature has been closed since Aug. 28, according to the state and El Futuro. Algae and debris were present when public health investigators were on site and there was a "lack of effective disinfection," the report stated.
What they're saying: "While this investigation does not allow us to conclusively determine the location of exposure, the epidemiologic, laboratory and environmental findings suggest that the El Futuro water feature was the most likely source," the report concluded.
- "Our hearts are broken for the young boy who lost his life and for his family. We are committed to supporting his family and our community through this devastating loss. We will continue to fully cooperate with public health officials," El Futuro said in an online statement.
How it works: The organism is found in warm freshwater habitats and enters the body through the nose, microbiologists believe.