A 71-year-old Texas woman tragically lost her life after contracting a rare but deadly brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, from tap water she used in a nasal rinse while camping in her RV.
According to a new CDC report released May 29, the woman fell ill within days of using a nasal irrigation device filled with unboiled tap water from an RV campground. She developed a fever, headache, and confusion—classic early symptoms of primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), the fatal brain infection caused by the amoeba. Despite medical intervention, she suffered seizures and died just eight days after symptoms began.
Testing confirmed the presence of the amoeba in her cerebrospinal fluid. The CDC emphasized that Naegleria fowleri typically thrives in warm freshwater environments, such as lakes and rivers, especially in southern U.S. states during the summer. However, it can also survive in improperly treated tap water or inadequately maintained RV water systems.
“This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices,” the CDC warned. Experts urge the public to use only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled water when flushing the sinuses.
While such infections are exceedingly rare—fewer than 10 cases per year in the U.S.—they are almost always fatal. From 1963 to 2020, only four people have survived out of 164 confirmed cases.
This tragedy follows other high-profile incidents, including the 2021 death of 3-year-old Bakari Williams from a splash pad and a 2023 fatal case linked to Lake LBJ. Public health officials continue to raise awareness about safe water practices to prevent future cases of this devastating infection.
