Texas Woman Uses Tap Water For Nasal Rinse, Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba
Last Updated:
The 71-year-old previously healthy woman suddenly took ill four days after she used a nasal irrigation device filled with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground
A simple home remedy for sinus congestion ended in tragedy for a woman in Texas who lost her life after contracting a rare and deadly brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, from using tap water for a sinus rinse.
According to a report published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a 71-year-old previously healthy woman developed suddenly took ill four days after she used a nasal irrigation device that was filled with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground in Texas.
Doctors said the woman experienced severe neurologic symptoms, including fever, headache, and an altered mental state. Despite receiving medical attention, she developed seizures and eight days on, she passed away.
People magazine quoted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as saying that investigators with the Texas Department of State Health Services found the presence of Naegleria fowleri in the woman's cerebrospinal fluid after lab testing.
What is Naegleria fowleri?
Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba found naturally in warm freshwater environments, such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained swimming pools. It doesn't really 'eat" brains but once inside the body, it travels to the brain and causes a severe and usually fatal infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
The amoeba infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. Once inside the nasal passages, it travels along the olfactory nerve (responsible for smell) to the brain. It does not infect people if the water is swallowed, as stomach acid kills the amoeba.
Avoid forcing water up your nose: When swimming in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, or hot springs, avoid activities that force water up your nose, such as diving or dunking your head. Use nose clips or keep your head above water in suspect areas.
Avoid swimming in untreated freshwater during very warm weather: Don't swim in water that looks dirty, cloudy, or poorly maintained. Make sure pools, spas, and splash pads are properly chlorinated and cleaned regularly.
Clean and disinfect humidifiers, neti pots, and any device that involves water and could contact your nasal passages, say doctors, adding that one must be aware that tap water is not sterile and should not be used in the nose unless treated as described above.
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
US COVID vaccine recommendations sow confusion among doctors, insurers
Chicago: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's intervention in COVID-19 vaccine recommendations without input from a key U.S. CDC advisory panel has sown confusion among physicians and insurers over who should get the shots and whether they will be covered, experts told Reuters. Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic, in a video posted on social media last week said the government was dropping its recommendation that healthy children and pregnant women should receive COVID shots. Days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its recommended childhood vaccine schedule online to show the shots could be given to healthy children when parents and doctors agree they are needed. It removed its recommendation that pregnant women should receive the shot. The moves sidestepped the normal process in which a panel of outside experts to the CDC - the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - reviews data in a public meeting and votes on vaccine recommendations. The ACIP recommendations are sent to the CDC director for approval and incorporated in the agency's vaccine schedule, which helps determine insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act . "The surprise announcement has created uncertainty for payers and providers about whether the video posting constitutes an official policy change," said Sarah Moselle, a principal at health consultancy Avalere. Insurers will wait to make coverage decisions until after ACIP makes a recommendation at its upcoming meeting scheduled for June 25-27, according to Robert Popovian, founder of healthcare consultancy Conquest Advisors. The Department of Health and Human Services overseen by Kennedy said the move was within its legal and regulatory authority and reflects the agency's move toward clinical-guided decision making, a department spokesperson said. HHS will continue to rely on the work of expert panels, including ACIP, he said, noting that the committee will be meeting this month. The meeting agenda will be released in accordance with prior practice. Determinations on coverage are up to insurance providers, the spokesperson said. The CDC has previously recommended the COVID shot for everyone aged 6 months and older. 'AWAITING CLARITY' "This whole thing is so murky," said an ACIP member who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It's very unclear whose decision is final." Infectious Diseases Society of America President Dr. Tina Tan said the conflicting COVID vaccine guidance could cause "significant confusion among medical professionals and the public." Dr. Matthew Zahn, an Orange County, California, public health official at OC Health Care Agency who serves as a liaison to the CDC's advisory panel, said: "We're all awaiting clarity." "It's going to be important to understand how these vaccines are insured," Zahn said. "Specifically, if ultimately there is a recommendation for high-risk populations to be vaccinated, how that is interpreted by insurance companies and thus, how providers can recommend it." Zahn expects CDC to clarify its guidance in the weeks ahead, though he could not comment on whether that will be at the ACIP meeting. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos, a CDC official who helped oversee the expert panel on COVID vaccines, told colleagues she was leaving her post as she was "no longer able to help the most vulnerable members" of the U.S. population. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists raised concerns on May 27 that the HHS decision not to recommend COVID vaccines during pregnancy would make it harder for pregnant women to get the shot "despite the clear and definitive evidence demonstrating its benefit." The Affordable Care Act generally requires insurers to cover vaccines that are listed on ACIP's vaccine schedule, according to the CDC's website. Narrowing coverage without knowing what ACIP recommends could put insurers at risk, Popovian said. "It's a liability," he said, adding that insurers need clarity on what they will be required to cover. A source familiar with plans for the meeting said the panel is expected to consider and vote on COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming autumn and winter season, adding that the panel had been leaning toward narrowing its recommendations. The advisory panel has yet to receive an agenda for the upcoming meeting, the source said, and it is unclear whether Kennedy would override any deviation from his announced policy.
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
New York man charged with animal cruelty after 48 dogs found in cramped apartment
In a deeply disturbing case of alleged animal hoarding, a man in Queens, New York City, has been charged with nearly 100 counts of animal cruelty after 48 Belgian Malinois dogs were found living in harrowing conditions inside a one-bedroom apartment, according to a report by People. (Also read: Indian-origin girl's Maggi noodles lunch in NYC school video wins hearts online: 'Just adorable') According to officials, the flat in Forest Hills resembled a nightmarish scene, with the floor slick with faeces and the air so saturated with ammonia that rescuers struggled to breathe. The malnourished dogs were reportedly crammed into closets, cabinets, cages, and even kitchen drawers—barely surviving in the squalor. Authorities say the discovery was made on 8 May when members of the NYPD, ASPCA, and the city's Animal Care Centers responded to a seventh-floor apartment following the eviction of the tenant, identified as 37-year-old Isaac Yadgarov. "The defendant is accused of keeping dozens of dogs in unsanitary and deplorable conditions, unable to move freely and surrounded by filth," said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement. "Animals are voiceless and vulnerable and deserve to be treated with basic care and decency." The scene inside the apartment was described as a case of hoarding "beyond comprehension." Tragically, three of the dogs were found to be in such poor health that they had to be euthanised. The remaining dogs are now in the custody of local animal shelters, receiving medical care and proper nutrition. Yadgarov turned himself in on 13 May and has since been arraigned on 96 misdemeanour charges, including animal neglect and failure to provide proper sustenance. The People report states that he had allegedly told authorities he intended to surrender the dogs voluntarily but vanished after his eviction. (Also read: Saree pride takes over NYC streets: 'Desi aunties' react to woman's Indian attire) If found guilty, Yadgarov could face up to one year in jail. Rescuers say that while the dogs' physical and emotional recovery will take time, they are now safe. 'They've suffered so much,' said one official in an ASPCA statement. 'But at least they're safe now.'
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Deadly brain-eating amoeba kills Texas woman: how to be safe?
What is Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri is a free-living, single-celled amoeba found in warm freshwater environments worldwide, such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained pools. It is commonly called the 'brain-eating amoeba' because it can cause a fatal brain infection. How do people get infected? Infection occurs when water containing the amoeba enters the nose, usually during swimming, diving, or nasal irrigation with contaminated water. Drinking contaminated water does not cause infection. What are the symptoms? Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. Death usually occurs within 5 days of symptom onset. How common are infections? Infections are extremely rare, with fewer than 10 cases reported annually in the U.S. over the past five decades Can the infection be treated? Treatment options are limited and often unsuccessful. Some experimental therapies, such as miltefosine, have shown promise if administered early, but survival remains rare. How can infection be prevented? Use only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation. Avoid submerging your head in warm freshwater, especially during the summer months. The Science Behind Naegleria fowleri Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A 71-year-old Texas woman died after contracting a rare but deadly infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri . According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the woman used untreated tap water from her RV's supply for nasal irrigation, a practice that allowed the amoeba to enter her body through her days, she developed severe neurological symptoms, including headache, fever, confusion, and seizures. Despite rapid medical intervention, she succumbed to the infection just eight days after symptoms began. The CDC stresses that such infections are extremely rare but almost always fatal, with only four survivors among 164 reported U.S. cases from 1962 to fowleri is a thermophilic (heat-loving) amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater environments, particularly during summer months. It exists in three life stages: cyst (dormant and resistant), flagellate (transient and mobile), and trophozoite (active and feeding).The trophozoite stage is the infectious form, capable of invading the nasal passages and migrating to the brain via the olfactory nerve, where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).The amoeba is classified as a free-living organism, meaning it does not require a host to survive. Instead, it feeds on bacteria and organic matter in the environment. While most exposures do not result in infection, when the amoeba enters the nose, it can rapidly cause severe brain inflammation and tissue destruction, leading to death in nearly all fowleri's ability to adapt to various environments and its near-universal presence in warm freshwater underscores the importance of safe water practices, especially for activities that involve nasal exposure.
