Teen's fatal brain-eating amoeba infection linked to water feature

Hear this story A North Carolina teenager who died after contracting a rare brain infection caused by a microscopic amoeba was most likely exposed through contact with a water feature at a local community center, according to state health officials.

The teen, identified by his family as 17-year-old Moises Ponce Mendoza, died on Aug. 31, four days after health officials reported he was critically ill and undergoing treatment for the infection. The rare brain infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that is commonly found in warm freshwater.

An investigation could not conclusively determine where the teen was exposed, according to a report released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Sept. 15. But health officials said interviews and environmental testing indicated that a water feature at El Futuro, a community-based mental health care center in Durham County, was the most likely source.