Texas Woman Dies from Brain-Eating Amoeba After Rinsing Sinuses with Tap Water

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A Texas woman has died from Naegleria fowleri, or brain-eating amoeba, after rinsing her sinuses with tap water, according to a new report.

The report — published May 29 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — revealed that a 71-year-old previously healthy woman developed severe symptoms four days after using a nasal irrigation device filled with tap water from an RV’s water system at a campground in Texas.

The woman experienced severe neurologic symptoms, including fever, headache, and an altered mental state. Despite medical treatment, she later developed seizures and died 8 days after symptoms began. The CDC stated that investigators with the Texas Department of State Health Services found the presence of Naegleria fowleri in her cerebrospinal fluid following lab testing.

Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as brain-eating amoeba, is a single-celled living organism that can cause a rare and almost always fatal infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). According to a CDC report, only four people in the U.S. out of 164 from 1962 until 2023 have survived the infection. 

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Brain-eating amoeba is most commonly found in warm fresh waters such as lakes, rivers and hot springs. It also resides in poorly maintained or minimally chlorinated swimming pools, staying in these habitats to feed on bacteria.

Symptoms of brain-eating amoeba generally start one to nine days after nasal exposure and many people die within 18 days of showing symptoms, according to the CDC. These include severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting in the first stage and stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations and a coma in the second stage.

Health officials note that “nasal irrigation using tap water remains the suspected route of exposure” in this case.

“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 report states. 

The CDC assured that infections of brain-eating amoeba only arise when contaminated water enters the body through the nose.

The agency notes that when rinsing your sinuses or nasal passages, store-brought water that is labeled “distilled” or “sterile” should be used. Tap water can be used only if it has been boiled for at least 1 minute and cooled beforehand.

Using water that has gone through a Brita water filter is also not sufficient — it’s still tap water, and is not sterile. 

“It has to be sterile water,” Dr. Travis Stork, an ER physician, host of The Doctors and a member of PEOPLE’s Health Squad, previously explained. “These amoeba infections are rare but not unheard of, which is why the water must be sterile. Always follow directions!”