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Texas woman dies from brain-eating amoeba after cleaning sinuses with tap water (www.nbcnews.com)
submitted 3 days ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/health@lemmy.world
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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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[–] Romkslrqusz@lemm.ee 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Every neti pot I’ve ever had recommends either:

A) Warming distilled water and adding salt

Or

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

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

What country 😁 ?

[–] Romkslrqusz@lemm.ee 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

US, but I don’t know that should matter. Even in France, water comes from a variety of sources and boiling / using distilled water eliminates risk, no matter how small.

In my family’s commune (France), there’s a lot of calcium in the tap water - such that you could actually feel it on your skin and in your hair after a shower, appliances like the coffee maker got crusty deposits with use. My grandmother only drank bottled water, I wouldn’t put that through my sinuses even if it were boiled.

[–] utopiah@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

US, but I don’t know that should matter.

Well that's precisely the argument that this specific thread is bringing forward.

They are saying the tap water in France, US or another random country is not the same. The regulation around water sources, treatment, urbanism, architecture is different and this has consequences. The regulation around medical devices is also different.

The argument is not trying to say the amoeba gives a shit, rather than instructions on medical devices are country specific because regulations are different.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Well, regulations are important, I wouldn't drink indian tap water but I'd clean my nasal cavities with swedish tap water without a thought.

It's probably more to it like how hot it is too. And not letting it sitting around in some plastic container like in the article 😵‍💫.

On a side note, yeah lots of bottled water here, better than soda I guess. Personlly I have a soda stream machine.