A Florida man has died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba — likely the result of rinsing his sinuses with tap water, health officials said.
The state Health Department in a recent press release said it is continuing to investigate the cause of the infection and monitoring for any indication of additional infections across Charlotte County. The agency also emphasized such infections are rare and only occur when water contaminated with amoebae enters the body through the nose.
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“You CANNOT be infected by drinking tap water,” health officials emphasized.
The brain-eating amoeba is a single-celled organism found in soil and freshwater all over the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It thrives in heat and grows best when temperatures are toastier, which means most infections are typically reported in the summer.
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The majority of cases come after swimming in a warm lake or river.
The patient, who has not been identified, died on Feb. 20 as a “result of sinus rinse practices utilizing tap water.” Health officials said he rinsed his sinuses daily with water that was never boiled.
“When making sinus rinse solutions, use only distilled or sterile water,” the agency noted. “Tap water should be boiled for at least 1 minute and cooled before sinus rinsing.”
Symptoms of a Naegleria fowleri infection include headaches, fever, nausea, loss of balance, disorientation, seizures and a stiff neck. The illness progresses quickly from there, with patients typically dying within 18 days or less.