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A Texas woman died from contaminated water that had been infected with a fatal brain amoeba.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alert, the 71-year-old patient used a nasal irrigation device (CDC) filled with waterless taps.
The agency said the then “previously healthy” women lived in local campgrounds at the time.
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Within four days of using a nose rinse, the woman developed “severe neurological symptoms” including fever, headaches and mental state changes.
The patient is due to an underlying infection of primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare, fatal brain infection caused by Naegleria Fowleri, also known as amoeba that consumes the brain.
The woman was treated for possible infection with primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a rare, fatal brain infection caused by Naegleria Fowleri, also known as a brain-eating amoeba. (iStock)
Despite treatment, the woman began to have epilepsy seizures and died eight days after symptoms began.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a test of the patient's cerebrospinal fluid confirmed that she had contracted Lactobacillus bovis.
“This situation strengthens 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 municipal water systems comply with regulatory standards,” the health agency said.
“In the United States, less than 10 people are infected every year – but unfortunately, most of the cases are fatal.”
Naegleria Fowleri can also be a risk when swimming in fresh water. As amoeba is at its best at altitudes and water temperatures, it is more common in hot months.
Fox News Digital previously spoke with Tammy Lundstrom, chief medical officer and infectious disease expert at Trinity Health, Michigan about the risk of infection.
The patient used a nasal irrigation device (not shown) filled with uncooked tap water from the RV faucet. (iStock)
“The risk of amoeba that eats brains is very low,” she said. “In the United States, less than 10 people are infected every year – but unfortunately, most cases are deadly. There are only a few survivors of known cases.”
According to the CDC, Naegleria Fowleri has a mortality rate of more than 97%.
Warning signal to identify
The initial symptoms of PAM usually start about five days after exposure, but they can be noticed faster.
The CDC website notes that early signs often include headaches, nausea, fever and/or vomiting.
As the infection develops, people may feel confused, stiff, disoriented, hallucinations, seizures and coma.
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“People usually start to feel uncomfortable one to twelve days after water exposure,” Lundstrom said. “Early symptoms should prompt medical evaluation because they are also signs of bacterial meningitis.”
Death can occur between one and 18 days of infection, an average of five days.
Prevent infection
To prevent fatal infection infection, the CDC recommends the use of “distilled, sterile or boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation” because “improperly maintained” municipal water and RV water systems pose a risk of disease.
Lundstrom told Fox News Digital that it is best to avoid immersion in water while swimming in the summer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a test of the patient's cerebrospinal fluid confirmed that she had contracted Lactobacillus bovis. (iStock)
“Usually during swimming, an infection occurs when the water with amoebas lifts a person's nose,” she said. “It's not known why some people are infected, while others don't even have peers in swimming.”
Lundstrom added that drinking contaminated water does not present a risk and infections do not spread from one person to another.
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Because amoeba is found in the soil, the CDC also recommends avoiding stirring sediment at lakes, ponds and river bottoms.
Treating large brain-eating animals
According to Lundstrom, when a patient is diagnosed with amoeba that eats the brain, it usually includes various antifungal drugs, as well as antibiotics such as Rifampin and azithromycin.
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The CDC said on its website that Miltefosine, a new antifungal drug, has been shown to kill Nagleria Fowleri in lab tests and has been used to treat some surviving patients.
“However, because of the high mortality rate, the impact of all these drugs on the actual infection of people is unclear.”
Naegleria Fowleri can also be a risk when swimming in fresh water. As amoeba is at its best at altitudes and water temperatures, it is more common in hot months. (iStock)
The CDC recommends that those experiencing sudden headaches, fevers, stiffness, or vomiting (especially recently swimming in warm freshwater) should receive medical care immediately.
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Despite the high mortality rate in infection, Lundstrom emphasized the rareness of cases.
“Every summer, millions of people love swimming, but only a few are infected,” she said.
