A woman in Texas died from a rare brain infection after using tap water to clean her sinuses, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The previously healthy 71-year-old woman used a nasal rinse device filled with unboiled tap water from an RV's water faucet while staying at a campground, the agency noted.
Four days later, she began showing serious symptoms like fever, headache, and confusion. Doctors suspected a rare but deadly brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), caused by a microscopic organism called Naegleria fowleri, also commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba.
Despite receiving treatment, the woman had seizures and died eight days after symptoms began. Tests confirmed the presence of the amoeba in her spinal fluid.
The CDC explained that this type of infection usually happens after swimming in warm freshwater, but it can also occur when people rinse their sinuses with non-sterile water.
The investigation found that the woman had not recently swum in any freshwater but had used the RV's unboiled tap water to rinse her sinuses multiple times. The RV's water tank may have been filled with contaminated water before she bought it, and the campground's water system could have contributed to the contamination. "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 health agency stated.
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