By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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MONDAY, June 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 A Texas woman has died after using tap water in a sinus rinse, leading to a rare but often fatal brain infection, health officials report.<\/p>\n
The 71-year-old woman died from a condition called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is caused by a microscopic organism called Naegleria fowleri<\/em>.<\/p>\n This brain-eating amoeba can live in warm freshwater and sometimes in untreated tap water, CBS News <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n A case study<\/a> from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the woman used tap water from an RV\u2019s water system at a Texas campground for her nasal rinse. Four days later, she developed a fever, headache and confusion.<\/p>\n Doctors suspected PAM and began treatment, but her condition got worse. She had seizures and died eight days after symptoms began, CBS News <\/em>said.<\/p>\n “Improperly maintained municipal water and recreational vehicle (RV) water systems can be a source of waterborne disease. CDC recommends the use of distilled, sterile, or boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation,” the report said.<\/p>\n The amoeba enters the body through the nose and travels to the brain. This often happens during diving or jumping in warm freshwater or hot springs, CBS News <\/em>said.<\/p>\n The CDC says only the following should be used for nasal rinsing:<\/p>\n Distilled or sterilized water<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Boiled and cooled tap water<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n When swimming in fresh water, the CDC also recommends these precautions:<\/p>\n Swimmers should hold their nose or wear a nose clip when diving or jumping in lakes or rivers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Heads should be kept above water while in a hot spring.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Poorly maintained pools or splash pads should be avoided.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has more on primary amebic meningoencephalitis<\/a> (PAM).<\/p>\n\n
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