Man dies after contracting brain-eating amoeba from rinsing sinuses with tap water
After using tap water for sinus rinses, a man in South Florida, USA, died of a brain-eating illness last month.
According to Fox 4 news reports, the man, who has not been named but was identified as a resident of Charlotte County, died on February 20, three days before the county health department issued a public alert about the infection.
DOH-Charlotte reported a case of Naegleria fowleri on February 23, which is a microscopic, single-celled, living amoeba. The department stated that infection can only occur when amoeba-contaminated water enters the nose. It stressed that tap water is not a possibility.
The amoeba can cause an infection of the brain known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) – a condition that does not have any known effective treatments.
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.
In a statement to FOX 4, the CDC said this is the first case ever in Florida where a person was infected through tap water, and the first-ever case reported in winter months in the U.S. It’s also the first reported case of Naegleria fowleri infection this year.
According to the CDC, the infection kills over 97% of the people who contract it. Out of 154 known infected individuals in the United States from 1962 to 2021, only four confirmed patients have survived the infection.
Last summer, 13-year-old Caleb Ziegelbauer contracted a possible brain-eating amoeba while swimming at Port Charlotte Beach Park, which is in Charlotte County, Florida.
Though his case has not been confirmed by the US health agency as the Naegleria fowleri infection, his medical team reportedly believes that’s what it was. As of last week, he is still alive and remains on the road to recovery.
The CDC said the amoeba typically lives in warm, freshwater bodies like lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It is also likely to be found living in sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers, so the agency advises against digging in or stirring up the soil in shallow, warm fresh water.
It is extremely rare for Naegleria fowleri to be found in swimming pools, splash pads, surf parks, or other recreational venues, but it is possible if they’re poorly maintained or don’t have enough chlorine.
Following the death, DOH-Charlotte said it is “continuing to investigate how this infection occurred and is working with the local public utilities to identify any potential links and make any necessary corrective actions.”
The CDC warned Charlotte County residents to be extra cognizant while bathing, showering, washing faces, swimming, jumping into the water, and playing with hoses/sprinklers to avoid water going up the nose. It’s also recommended to keep plastic and blow-up pools disinfected, and to avoid slip-n-slides.
