The Health Ministry warned Tuesday of a parasite in the waters of the Sea of Galilee that could lead to eye infection and even potentially cause eye damage.
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The ministry said in a statement that it has received increasing reports from ophthalmologists in recent days about patients hospitalized with severe cornea inflammations, corneal scarring, and in more serious cases, even vision impairment. So far, 29 people have been hospitalized with some kind of damage to the eye.
The link to the Sea of Galilee was discovered after the ministry launched an epidemiological investigation and discovered that at least some of the patients had bathed in its waters earlier.
The results are still preliminary, the ministry said, but recommended using goggles when swimming in the Sea of Galilee and avoiding direct contact of water with the eyes. It stressed that there was no danger in drinking the water.
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