Doctors at the Beilinson Medical Center pronounced the death of a 26-year-old patient who had contracted the primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a condition caused by the amoeba naegleria fowleri, also known as the "brain-eating amoeba".

Sources at Beilinson emphasized that "from the moment the young man was hospitalized, the medical teams used all treatments available, including drugs and surgical intervention, in order to save his life, but his condition continued to deteriorate."

The young man was admitted to the Sharon Hospital on Tuesday last week with symptoms of fever, headache and vomiting, while fully conscious. His condition rapidly deteriorated and he began to display neurological symptoms. Doctors performed a quick and comprehensive series of tests, reaching the rare diagnosis, and he was transferred to Beilinson a day later.

The investigation of the Ministry of Health’s central clinics found that the young man had probably contracted the disease at the beach on Lake Kinneret in northern Israel.

About two years ago, a 36-year-old man with no underlying illnesses died from encephalitis caused by the same amoeba at the Poriya Medical Center. These are the only two cases of amoeba infection that have ever occurred in Israel.

About 400 cases have been reported worldwide. It is a rare disease with a high mortality rate. The amoeba is found in fresh water, puddles, or stagnant water sources of various types.