Health Ministry Issues Kinneret Precautions After Fourth Amoeba Case

Israel's Health Ministry issued updated guidance for Kinneret bathers after confirming a fourth Israeli case of Naegleria fowleri since 2022. The current patient, a child who swam at Kursi Beach about a week before hospitalization, contracted the rare but severe infection through the nose. The ministry advised swimmers to use nose clips and avoid diving, jumping, submerging the head, forcing water into the nose or disturbing shallow-water sediment. It said the infection does not spread through drinking water or between people, and urged prompt medical evaluation for serious symptoms after freshwater exposure.