US Woman Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba After Using Tap Water For Nasal Rinse

A 71-year-old woman in Texas has died after contracting a rare but deadly brain infection linked to a nasal irrigation device, according to a report by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The woman, previously in good health, developed severe neurological symptoms days after rinsing her sinuses with water from an RV's supply at a campground in Texas. The water, which had not been boiled or sterilised, was likely contaminated with Naegleria fowleri - commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba, the People reported. 

According to the CDC, the woman began showing symptoms such as fever, headache, and confusion within four days of using the nasal rinse. Despite receiving treatment for primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), the infection progressed rapidly. She suffered seizures and died eight days after the first symptoms appeared.

PAM is an extremely rare but almost always fatal infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic amoeba that typically enters the body through the nose when people swim or bathe in warm freshwater. It can also infect individuals who use tap or untreated water for nasal rinsing.

Although the amoeba was not directly found in the RV's water system, the CDC noted that the water was "inadequately disinfected." This case serves as a warning about the importance of using only sterile, distilled, or properly boiled and cooled water for nasal irrigation.

The CDC has documented just 164 PAM infections in the US between 1962 and 2023. Only four people have survived.

Health officials advise the public to avoid using untreated tap water for sinus rinses and to be cautious when swimming in warm freshwater lakes or hot springs, where the amoeba thrives.