In a recent case report, health officials described how she contracted a fatal infection of Naegleria fowleri through tainted tap water sourced from a recreational vehicle.
Federal and local health officials in Texas detailed the unusual death last week in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The 71-year-old woman developed neurological symptoms days after using a nasal irrigation device and died only a week later.
These infections, while rare, can be prevented through practical safety measures, such as only using sterilized water for nasal irrigation, officials say.
Four days earlier, she had irrigated her nose with tap water from an RV’s water system at a campground in Texas.
A brain-eating amoeba killed a woman who practiced nasal irrigation. In a recent case report, health officials detailed how she came into contact with contaminated tap water from a recreational vehicle and developed a deadly Naegleria fowleri infection.
Texas health officials, both federal and local, described the unusual death in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report last week. The 71-year-old woman passed away a week after experiencing neurological symptoms a few days after using a nasal irrigation device. Despite their rarity, officials say that these infections can be avoided by taking sensible precautions like only using sterile water for nasal irrigation.
“N.”. Warm freshwater and soil are home to the shape-shifting amoeba fowleri. When simply consumed, it poses no threat to people and usually feeds on bacteria. However, amoeba can enter the brain through the nose. Primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, is a severe brain infection that results from the amoeba literally feasting on brain cells and causing massive inflammation once it arrives.
The MMWR report states that the once healthy woman sought medical attention due to a fever, headache, and change in her mental state. She had used tap water from an RV’s water system to irrigate her nose at a Texas campground four days prior. Despite treatment, she experienced seizures and passed away eight days after her symptoms started, despite the doctors’ prompt suspicion of PAM. The CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services then launched an investigation into the strange circumstances surrounding her death.
During the trip, officials tested the water from the RV’s portable water tank as well as the nearby municipal water system that the RV might have been connected to. Since officials could only sample the water 23 days after the woman’s exposure and neither source tested positive for the amoeba, it’s possible that the environmental conditions had already changed. However, they did discover proof that the RV’s water system was not adequately cleaned to avoid contamination, which most likely explains how the amoeba got into the woman’s tap water.
“This case highlights the significance of preserving RV water quality and making sure that municipal water systems comply with regulatory requirements, as well as the potential for major health hazards linked to inappropriate use of nasal irrigation devices,” the officials wrote.
With only about 150 cases reported in the United States, PAM is extremely uncommon. A. The amoeba was discovered in the 1960s, but once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal. The majority of infections are usually contracted when swimming in warm lakes and getting water up one’s nose. However, if drinking or recreational water systems are not adequately sterilized, amoeba can also survive there. Additionally, there have been numerous instances of people contracting an infection by using tainted tap water for nasal irrigation (irrigation is typically done to clear the sinuses in people with respiratory infections or allergies).
