Texas Woman Dies After Using Tap Water in Sinus Rinse
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, June 9, 2025 — A Texas woman has died after using tap water in a sinus rinse, leading to a rare but often fatal brain infection, health officials report.
The 71-year-old woman died from a condition called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is caused by a microscopic organism called Naegleria fowleri.
This brain-eating amoeba can live in warm freshwater and sometimes in untreated tap water, CBS News reported.
A case study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the woman used tap water from an RV’s water system at a Texas campground for her nasal rinse. Four days later, she developed a fever, headache and confusion.
Doctors suspected PAM and began treatment, but her condition got worse. She had seizures and died eight days after symptoms began, CBS News said.
"Improperly maintained municipal water and recreational vehicle (RV) water systems can be a source of waterborne disease. CDC recommends the use of distilled, sterile, or boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation," the report said.
The amoeba enters the body through the nose and travels to the brain. This often happens during diving or jumping in warm freshwater or hot springs, CBS News said.
The CDC says only the following should be used for nasal rinsing:
-
Distilled or sterilized water
-
Boiled and cooled tap water
When swimming in fresh water, the CDC also recommends these precautions:
-
Swimmers should hold their nose or wear a nose clip when diving or jumping in lakes or rivers.
-
Heads should be kept above water while in a hot spring.
-
Poorly maintained pools or splash pads should be avoided.
Sources
- CBS News, June 6, 2025
- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 29, 2025
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
California Resident Infected With Plague, Likely from Flea at Lake Tahoe
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 — A resident of South Lake Tahoe, California, has been diagnosed with the plague, the state’s first human plague infection since...
Infections From Flesh-Eating Bacteria Are Spreading to New Areas
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 — Health experts across the country are issuing warnings about a surge in infections from a "flesh-eating" bacterium known as Vibrio...
NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak: Fourth Death Confirmed, 101 Sickened
MONDAY, Aug. 18, 2025 — A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Central Harlem has now caused four deaths and sickened 101 people, New York City health officials...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.