A woman in Texas died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba infection from using tap water to clear out her sinuses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced.
According to a death investigation inside the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released Thursday, May 29, the 71-year-old woman suddenly died after experiencing serious symptoms.
Officials described the symptoms as a fever, headache, and an “altered mental status,” only days after using a “nasal irrigation device” filled with tap water.
The report continued, saying that the woman received medical treatment for a suspected Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis infection. But despite the treatment, the woman began having seizures, subsequently dying eight days after symptoms began.
Following her death, CDC officials confirmed in the report that Naegleria fowleri was found in the woman’s cerebrospinal fluid, which the Cleveland Clinic says is a clear and colorless fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord and acts as a protective cushion and provides nutrients.
What is Naegleria fowleri?
According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri, more commonly known as “brain-eating amoeba,” is a one-celled organism that lives in freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs.
“If water containing the ameba goes up the nose and to the brain, it can cause an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM),” the CDC said.
Officials said that fewer than 10 people a year contract PAM, with a death rate of almost 100%.
How can I stay safe from brain-eating amoeba?
According to the CDC, officials gave the following recommendations to stay safe:
- Hold your nose or wear a nose clip if you are jumping or diving into fresh water.
- Always keep your head above water in hot springs.
- Don’t dig in shallow water because the amoeba is more likely to live there.
- Use distilled or boiled tap water when rinsing your sinuses or cleansing your nasal passages.