Deadly Brain-eating amoeba linked to Durham facility; health dept says creek lacked required permits
A man-made creek at a Durham mental health center has been identified as the likely source of a fatal Naegleria fowleri (brain-eating amoeba) infection in a 17-year-old boy. Health officials closed the water feature after discovering it was not effectively disinfected despite maintenance efforts.
Why it matters
The incident highlights public health risks associated with poorly maintained man-made water features and the potential for rare, deadly environmental pathogens.
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man-made creek outside a Durham mental health center remains closed as state investigators say it was the most likely source of exposure to the brain-eating amoeba that killed a 17-year-old boy .
A Durham County Health Department "Keep Out" sign remains posted at the water feature near El Futuro, though no fence or barrier prevents people from entering the area.
The closure follows a state-led investigation into the death of 17-year-old Moses Mendoza . Investigators found the manmade creek outside El Futuro, a community-based mental health center, was the likely location where the teen was exposed to Naegleria fowleri , commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba.
One shopper at nearby Lakewood Park Plaza, who asked not to be identified, said she never expected the source of the deadly infection would be found in a small, manmade water feature.
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