A 71-year-old woman tragically passed away in Texas after contracting a rare brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, known as the “brain-eating amoeba.” The woman developed serious neurological symptoms just four days after using tap water to rinse her sinuses while staying at a Texas campsite, according to a case report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The woman used a nasal irrigation device, similar to a neti pot, which she filled with tap water from her RV’s potable water faucet. While the water seemed safe, it hadn’t been boiled, distilled, or sterilised, a key safety precaution the CDC strongly recommends.
It started with a fever, a pounding headache, and a sense of confusion. Her symptoms were not alarming at first, but her condition worsened rapidly. Soon, seizures began, and doctors hospitalised her.
Doctors’ Diagnosis Of Her Condition
Doctors diagnosed her with primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare but devastating brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri. Despite many efforts, doctors could not stop the progression of the infection. She passed away just over a week after her first symptoms appeared.
When the CDC investigated, they found that she hadn’t been swimming or exposed to any lakes, rivers, or other natural sources of freshwater, which is how most PAM cases occur. Instead, she likely used tap water in a neti pot for nasal rinsing, which became the source of the infection.
Unfortunately, she failed to boil or filter the water, which allowed the deadly amoeba to enter her brain through her nasal passages. Investigators believe contaminated water in the RV tank, which someone filled months before she bought it, caused the infection. Another possibility was the municipal water supply that connected directly to the RV’s system.
The CDC emphasised that PAM infections are rare but deadly and usually occur through the nose during recreational activities in warm freshwater. However, the use of untreated tap water for nasal irrigation also poses a serious risk.
To prevent such infections, the CDC urges people to always use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled water for sinus rinsing.
