A North Carolina teenager has died after contracting a critical illness caused by an infection from the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri. ^[1] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that Naegleria fowleri enters the brain through the olfactory nerve and causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis; it also reports that of 167 cases in the U.S. from 1962 to 2024, only four people survived, with most deaths occurring within five days. ^[2] The teen, whose identity was not immediately released to protect the family's privacy, died on Monday. ^[3] Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled organism commonly found in warm freshwater such as ponds, lakes and rivers, and it can cause sudden severe headaches, vomiting, fever, and can progress to a stiff neck, seizures, and coma. ^[4] North Carolina state officials said investigators are still working to determine how the teen was exposed, explaining that infection often occurs when contaminated water is forced up the nose during activities like jumping or diving. ^[5] North Carolina epidemiologist Zack Moore stated that while these infections are very rare, this case is an important reminder that the amoeba is present in the state and across the U.S. ^[6]