An unidentified Florida man died from a brain-eating amoeba he possibly contracted while using tap water to rinse his sinuses, but health officials noted such infections are rare.
In a news release February 23, the Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County confirmed the infection of Naegleria fowleri, but noted it can only occur when water contaminated with the amoebae gets into a person’s nose.
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“You CANNOT be infected by drinking tap water,” the agency emphasized:
In rare situations, the amoeba can cause an infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). DOH-Charlotte, as part of a multi-agency response, 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.
Officials urged residents to use distilled or sterile water when making sinus rinses.
A common practice is for people to use a neti pot to clear their nasal passages, per the Mayo Clinic, and some use the pot to treat allergies, sinus issues, or colds, the website continued:
If you choose to make your own saltwater solution, it’s important to use bottled water that has been distilled or sterilized. Tap water is acceptable if it’s been passed through a filter with a pore size of 1 micron or smaller or if it’s been boiled for several minutes and then left to cool until it’s lukewarm.
Naegleria fowleri is made up of a single cell, thus it is known as an amoeba, and not to be confused with bacteria, according to KHOU.
“It’s considered a free-living organism because it doesn’t need a host to live,” the clinic said, noting once the infected water goes into a person’s nose, it travels to the brain.
“This usually happens when you’re swimming, diving or doing something like water skiing in infected water,” the site read, noting people cannot be infected by swallowing the infected water.
Symptoms of the infection include high fever, painful headache, nausea, vomiting, trembling, meningitis-like symptoms, confusion, and coma.
In 2022, there were three confirmed cases of the amoeba that occurred in Iowa, Nebraska, and Arizona, according to NBC News.
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