According to media, an 11-year-old boy in Slovakia died from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, marking the country’s first known case.
Authorities suspect he may have contracted the infection during a swimming course at the Vadaš Thermal Resort in Štúrovo earlier this month (June 2025). The resort is currently closed as a precaution, pending the results of the investigation.
News media report that this is the first confirmed case in Slovakia, while eighteen cases have been reported in the neighboring Czech Republic.
Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri. The ameba lives in warm fresh water and soil around the world.
The risk of a Naegleria fowleri infection is very low.
Keep your head above water in hot springs and other naturally hot (geothermal) water.
Avoid digging in, or stirring up, sediment in shallow, warm fresh water. Naegleria fowleri amebas are more likely to live in sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers.