Latest news with #brainEatingAmoeba
Arab News
2 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Pakistan reports second death of 2025 from deadly brain-eating amoeba
KARACHI: A 23-year-old man died in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi this week after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the Sindh Health Department said on Wednesday, marking the second death of the year from the deadly brain-eating amoeba. Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba, has a fatality rate of over 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be spread from person to person. Pakistan has witnessed a rise in Naegleria fowleri cases in recent years, with more than 100 reported deaths since the first confirmed infection in 2008. Five fatalities were recorded in 2024 alone. In the latest case the deceased, a resident of Karachi's Orangi Town area, was hospitalized on May 30 after suffering from symptoms on May 28. He died on June 3 after the presence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in the patient on June 1. 'Upon investigation, it was noted that the patient had not participated in any water-related activities,' the Sindh Health Department said. 'His only exposure was regular use of water at home and use of water at a nearby local mosque to perform ablution.' Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection include severe headache, altered sense of taste, high fever, sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting. Death typically occurs within five to seven days of infection. The health department confirmed this was the second death in Pakistan from Naegleria fowleri in 2025. The first death was reported in March when a 36-year-old woman died from the same disease. She was also a resident of Karachi. A 2021 study by the Sindh Health Department found that 95 percent of water samples in Karachi, Sindh's provincial capital, were unfit for human consumption. Experts say the contamination leads to the spreading of the brain-eating amoeba among the city's residents.
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Woman, 71, dies from brain-eating infection days after rinsing her nose with tap water
A PREVIOUSLY healthy woman died after contracting a brain-eating infection - believed to have been caused by tap water. The 71-year-old from Texas, whose identity hasn't been disclosed, is thought to have fallen victim to an amoeba, a single-celled organism. After she died last year, it was suggested she'd contracted the infection after using tap water from an RV's system at a campground to rinse her sinuses. The amoeba she was infected by is Naegleria fowleri, known as the brain-eating amoeba, which thrives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs, according to a report in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Texas investigators said the woman developed severe neurological symptoms, including fever, headache, and an altered mental state, within four days of using a nasal irrigation device filled with the tap water. Despite medical treatment for suspected primary amoebic meningoencephalitis - a rare but severe and usually fatal brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri - she developed seizures and later died eight days after her symptoms first appeared. A follow-up epidemiologic investigation conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services found the woman had no recreational exposure to fresh water, such as swimming. But she had reportedly performed nasal irrigation several times using non-boiled water from the RV water faucet during the four days before she fell ill. Two potential water sources for the N. fowleri infection were suggested. The first was the RV's water tank for drinking, which flowed directly to the faucets and shower. The tank had been filled with water collected on an unknown date before the patient bought the RV three months earlier. The second possible source of contamination was the municipal water system, which was connected by a hose and water filter to the RV's potable water system. To explore these potential sources further, investigators collected 12 environmental samples. These included samples from the squirt bottle that the woman used for nasal rinsing, water from the RV water heater, swabs from the shower head and bathroom and kitchen sink faucets, water from the RV's potable water tank, and water from the campsite's municipal water supply. The scientists didn't find N. fowleri DNA or viable amoeba in the samples, but they found the water supply wasn't adequately disinfected. The authors wrote: "This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards." Despite the alarming incident, The Texas Department of State Health Services reassured the public the area's tap water remains safe to drink. They emphasised infections from amoebas are extremely rare and can only infect humans through the nose. 2 Sinus rinsing, also known as nasal irrigation or sinus flushing, is popular for relieving sinus congestion and other respiratory issues. It's generally recommended to use boiled and cooled water for sinus rinsing, along with distilled or sterile water. Boiling water kills bacteria and other microorganisms that may be present in tap water, reducing the risk of infection. It's also advised to avoid water entering your nasal passages in general, especially when swimming or engaging in water activities. Are you at risk of Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri infections, leading to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), typically present with symptoms like severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck. These initial symptoms, which can resemble those of bacterial or viral meningitis, progress rapidly to confusion, hallucinations, lack of attention, and seizures. The disease progresses to coma and death within one to 18 days after symptoms appear, with the median being five days. Diagnosis can be challenging due to the rarity of the infection and the difficulty in initial detection. Rapid identification through laboratory tests is crucial for effective treatment. While PAM is rare, exposure to warm freshwater is a risk factor. Avoiding swimming in warm, stagnant water and practising safe water practices can help reduce the risk of infection.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Woman in Texas dies from brain-eating infection after rinsing her nose with TAP WATER
A woman in Texas died from a brain-eating infection she is believed to have contracted from tap water. The unnamed female, aged 71, was killed by the amoeba - a single-celled organism last year. The county health department said that the person likely got infected when they rinsed their sinuses with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground. The Texas Department of State Health Services said tap water in the area is still safe to drink as the amoeba is rare and can only infect humans through the nose. However, experts say that the case 'reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards.' The US only suffers a handful of deaths from brain-eating amoeba each year, usually among people swimming in warm water lakes and rivers. The frighteningly lethal amoeba - known as Naegleria fowleri - kills 97 percent of the people it infects. Only a handful of Americans have ever survived the infection. Texas is among the states that have suffered the largest burden of brain-eating amoeba cases, with 39 of around 160 recorded in the US all-time in the Lone Star state. The amoeba causes a disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, also known as PAM or amebic meningitis. It thrives in warm water. Initial symptoms include a headache, vomiting and nausea. A person can then suffer cognitive issues and a stuff neck as things progress. It causes severe swelling, and eventually rotting, of the brain and spinal cord. This will almost always eventually lead to death. There are no known effective treatments for PAM. In the recent Texas case, the woman developed severe neurologic symptoms, including fever, headache, and altered mental status within four days of using a nasal irrigation device filled with the compromised tap water. Despite medical treatment, the patient developed seizures and subsequently died eight days after symptom onset. Laboratory testing at CDC confirmed the presence of N. fowleri in the patient's brain and spinal fluid. Sinus rinsing is a practice where a person flows water into their nose through one nostril and out the other - in an attempt to clean mucus and other debris. Local officials advise residents to boil water for at least one minute before using it to wash their noses to kill any lingering bacteria or harmful chemicals. They also say not to allow water into your nose when showering, bathing, swimming, or in a blow-up pool, not to put your head underwater in the tub, to avoid letting children play with sprinklers while unsupervised and the avoid slip-and-slides. This is not the first recent case potentially tied to water systems. In 2020, a six-year-old boy in Lake Jackson, Texas died from Naegleria fowleri. Officials believe he was either infected while playing in a local splash pad or from a water hose at home. And in 2023, a man in Charlotte County, Florida, died after nasal rinsing with tap water. The amoeba, which is 1,200 times smaller than a dime, enters the body through the olfactory nerve which connects the upper nose to the brain. This gives it a short and direct route into the brain. If water containing the amoeba enters the nose, it will likely lead to infection. Ingesting water through the mouth is ok because stomach acid is strong enough to kill the amoeba. The nose is its only route. Once a person's olfactory nerve is exposed, it can take around one to nine days to start experiencing symptoms. They will usually die within five days of symptoms first appearing. 'It's quite rapid, it's very progressive. It literally eats the brain tissue,' Dr. Anjan Debnath, a parasitologist at the University of California San Diego, explained. Because of the rare infection, doctors also often misdiagnose symptoms as meningitis - wasting valuable time that could be used to treat the parasite. He describes the infection as taking part in two stages. The first is relatively minor, with the person experiencing a headache and other flu-like symptoms. This means that unless a doctor knows that a person has been swimming in untreated water they may not even suspect the amoeba. Once symptoms reach the second stage, a person will start experiencing severe neurological issues like seizures. A doctor will then likely find out about the infection through a spinal fluid test. America suffers around three cases of the amoeba each year. They will almost always occur over summer, when many families flock to local lakes and ponds for a daytime outing. Dr Debnath still advises against swimming in untreated water over summer, especially in places like Florida and Texas where temperatures get exceptionally high. Because the amoeba only resides in fresh water, swimming in the ocean is generally safe. If families do choose to visit a freshwater beach, anyone entering the water should wear a nose clip to prevent water from entering their nose. Dr Debnath also recommends against kicking up dirt or sand from the bottom of the lake as warmer areas deep down are where the microscopic beings usually lie.
