A 71-year-old woman from Texas has died after contracting a rare and almost always fatal brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as a brain-eating amoeba. The woman reportedly used unboiled tap water from an RV water system to rinse her sinuses while staying at a campground. The infection, identified as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is caused when the amoeba enters the body through the nasal passages and travels to the brain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the woman used the RV’s water for nasal irrigation multiple times over four days. She began showing symptoms such as headache, fever, and confusion shortly afterward and passed away just eight days after symptom onset.

The specific campground where the incident occurred has not been disclosed, and investigators were unable to detect the amoeba in any water samples taken from the RV or the site. The water tank in the RV had reportedly been filled several months before, but the exact source remains unknown. While cases of PAM are extremely rare, they are often fatal. The CDC notes that the infection is typically associated with swimming or diving in warm freshwater bodies, but cases linked to nasal rinsing with contaminated water have also been documented.

To reduce the risk of such infections, health officials recommend using only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water for nasal rinses. They also advise against digging or stirring up sediment in shallow warm freshwater and suggest using nose clips when diving into lakes or hot springs. This tragic incident underscores the importance of proper water sanitation, especially when using nasal irrigation devices. Even seemingly safe activities like sinus rinsing can pose serious risks if performed with untreated water.