A Texas woman died after contracting a brain-eating amoeba from tap water used to clear out her sinuses.
The 71-year-old, who was not identified, fell ill within four days of using a nasal irrigation device filled with tap water from an RV last year at a Texas campground.
In a report released May 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the woman developed a fever, headache and “altered mental status” before eventually suffering seizures and dying eight days after the onset of symptoms. Neither the location of the campground or date of the woman’s death were provided.
Laboratory testing confirmed the presence of the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, in the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid, the report said. Naegleria fowleri, commonly called a “brain-eating amoeba” can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and deadly infection.
“This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards,” the CDC wrote.
Typically, N. fowleri lives in soil and warm freshwater, likes lakes, rivers and hot springs, particularly in southern states in the summer, according to the CDC.
In very rare cases, an infection can occur after contact with inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or contaminated tap water, the CDC says. Very rarely, infections have occurred in people who used contaminated tap water to irrigate their sinuses. Public health officials recommend using distilled, sterilized, or boiled and cooled tap water to clear sinuses.
Fewer than 10 cases are reported in the U.S. each year, but they are almost always fatal. Of the 164 reported cases between 1963 and 2020, only four have survived.
In 2021, 3-year-old Bakari Williams died after contracting the bacteria while playing at an Arlington splash pad. Following the boy’s death, the city implemented additional safety procedures, installed new safety equipment and strengthened employee training.
In 2023, a Travis County resident died from an amoebic meningitis infection after swimming in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson.