this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
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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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[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 51 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

An investigation conducted by the agency found that the woman had not recently been exposed to fresh water but had performed the nasal irrigation using non-boiled water from the RV's potable water faucet "on several occasions" before her illness.

The potable water tank, the investigation found, was filled before the woman bought the RV three months ago and could have contained contaminated water. The investigation also concluded that the municipal water system, which was connected to the potable water system and bypassed the tank, could have caused the contamination.

A bit misleading to put so definitely "tap water" in the headline when this was 3 month old RV water.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 3 points 8 hours ago

It was campsite water actually. If you read closely.

[–] aeshna_cyanea@lemm.ee 6 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

What's the bit about the municipal water system there for? Aren't they saying she could have used either

[–] Demdaru@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Point is, if you're gonna flush your nose, boil the water at least. FFS.

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 6 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

That's a lot of important context