this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025

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Texas woman dies from brain-eating amoeba after cleaning sinuses with tap water (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 1 week ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/health@lemmy.world

202 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The woman contracted a fatal infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba and died eight days after developing symptoms.

A Texas woman died from an infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba days after she cleaned her sinuses using tap water, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case report.

The woman, an otherwise healthy 71-year-old, developed "severe neurologic symptoms," including fever, headache and an altered mental status, four days after she filled a nasal irrigation device with tap water from her RV's water system at a Texas campsite, the CDC report said.

She was treated for primary amebic meningoencephalitis — a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as the "brain-eating amoeba." Despite treatment, the woman experienced seizures and died from the infection eight days after she developed symptoms, the agency said.

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[–] frozenpopsicle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 1 week ago

I only clean my head holes with hard liquor.

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'll just keep chilling out safely over here on Team Blow Your Nose With A Tissue.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago

You can use steam to break up mucus, making it easier to use a tissue

[–] peregrin5@lemm.ee 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

My libertarian uncle swore basically anything could be cured with a neti pot. He forced me to use one when I was having issues with allergies.

It didn't help one bit and was one of the most uncomfortable experiences in my life. This just turns me off to it even more.

[–] Romkslrqusz@lemm.ee 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Yeah, you’re not supposed to use it when you’re fully congested because the water will just get trapped and sit.

There’s a bit of a learning curve and people hesitating can end up with the uncomfortable sensation of “water up your nose” but it really is awesome and life changing once you figure it out.

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[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (9 children)

Where I live (France) the recommendation is to take lukewarm water, add salt, and that's it.

Is texas water catastrophically bad or am I totally wrong (or both)?

[–] slackassassin@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It was from the water tank of an rv.

But also, the quality of water systems in the us are more localized to smaller regional areas and not uniform state wide. Especially not in a large state like texas.

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[–] Romkslrqusz@lemm.ee 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

Every neti pot I’ve ever had recommends either:

A) Warming distilled water and adding salt

B) Boiling filtered tap water, adding salt, and letting it cool down to warm.

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[–] PM_ME_WRISTS_GIRL@lemmynsfw.com 10 points 1 week ago

I don't know if brain eating amoebae are a common occurrence in tap water, but it woud explain a lot about Texas.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You're supposed to use distilled water, genius as stupid mistakes go, that one's pretty low on the dumb-fuck-o-meter.

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[–] jagged_circle 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is safe, if you boil the water.

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[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I know I have an extremely biased experience set having been a health inspector in a place full of RV slums, but I would never trust any portion, interior or exterior, including internal systems, of a used RV.

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[–] JamesBoeing737MAX@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I'm getting convinced kennedy's worm caused this.

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 6 points 1 week ago (14 children)

Anyone know if you can inhale these from a humidifier?

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[–] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

She has just been nominated to be RFK jr's deputy.

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