A 71-year-old Texas woman died from a brain-eating amoeba infection, identified as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), after using tap water for nasal irrigation. According to a CDC case report, the woman developed severe neurological symptoms—fever, headache, and altered mental status—four days after filling a nasal irrigation device with tap water in her RV at a campsite. Despite receiving treatment, she experienced seizures and succumbed to the infection eight days post-symptom onset. Lab tests confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri, the amoeba responsible for PAM, in her cerebrospinal fluid.
The CDC indicated that such infections typically arise from recreational water activities but warned that rinsing sinuses with non-distilled water poses a significant risk. An investigation revealed that the woman had not engaged in recent freshwater activities but had used the RV’s non-boiled tap water for nasal irrigation multiple times before falling ill. The water tank might have contained contaminated water, as it was filled before the woman purchased the RV three months earlier. Concerns were also raised about the municipal water system connected to the RV’s potable water, which might have contributed to the contamination.
The CDC emphasized the necessity of using distilled, sterilized, or boiled water for nasal irrigation to mitigate the risk of PAM and related infections. This tragic incident underscores the critical importance of water safety practices, particularly when performing nasal irrigation, to prevent similar infections in the future.
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