A man in southwest Florida died after becoming infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, which state health officials say was "possibly as a result of sinus rinse practices utilizing tap water."

The Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County confirmed Thursday that the unidentified man died of Naegleria fowleri.



State and local health and environmental agencies "continue to coordinate on this ongoing investigation, implement protective measures, and take any necessary corrective actions," they added.

The single-celled amoeba lives in warm fresh water and, once ingested through the nose, can cause a rare but almost-always fatal brain infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tallied 157 PAM infections in the U.S. between 1962 and 2022, with only four known survivors (a fifth, a Florida teenager, has been fighting for his life since last summer, according to an online fundraiser by his family).



A Young Woman Dies, A Teen Is Saved After Amoebas Infect The Brain
Agency data suggests this is the first such infection ever reported in February or March.

Infections are most common in Southern states and during warmer months, when more people are swimming — and submerging their heads — in lakes and rivers.

But they can also happen when people use contaminated tap water to rinse their sinuses, either as part of a religious ritual or an at-home cold remedy.

The CDC says the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about five days of symptom onset.



To Avoid Brain-Eating Amoebas, Hold Your Nose
The first symptoms of PAM can include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, and they typically start about five days after infection (though they can begin anywhere within one to 12 days). Later symptoms can include stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations and coma.

Naegleria fowleri has not been shown to spread through water vapor, aerosol droplets, person-to-person transmission or drinking water, a fact that Florida health officials emphasized this week.

"Infection with Naegleria fowleri is RARE and can only happen when water contaminated with amoebae enters the body through the nose," they said. "You CANNOT be infected by drinking tap water."

That said, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk.

How safe are sinus rinses?
Many people use neti pots — or nasal irrigation devices like bulb syringes and squeeze bottles — to flush out their clogged sinuses when feeling under the weather.

The Food and Drug Administration says those are "usually safe and effective ... when used and cleaned properly."



Got a Runny Nose? Flush It Out!
That means no rinsing with tap water, which may contain low levels of organisms that are safe to swallow but not ingest through the nose.

Instead, use distilled or sterile water, which is sold in stores, or tap water that has been boiled for 3-5 minutes and then cooled until lukewarm (it can then be stored in a clean, closed container and used within 24 hours).

You could also use a special water filter — labeled "NSF 53" or "NSF 58" — designed to remove those germs.



Second Neti-Pot Death From Amoeba Prompts Tap-Water Warning
Then make sure both your hands and the device are clean and completely dry, and follow the manufacturer's directions for use.

Afterward, the FDA suggests washing the device, drying the inside with a paper towel or letting it air dry before you use it again.

Splish, splash and stay cautious
The CDC warns that people should "always assume" there's a risk for infection when entering warm fresh water.

"The only sure way to prevent an infection is to avoid water-related activities in warm fresh water, especially during summer months," officials say.



Deadly Amoeba Found For First Time In Municipal Water Supply
If you are going swimming, try to prevent water from going up your nose.

That means no jumping or diving into bodies of warm fresh water, and avoid putting your head underwater in hot springs and other untreated geothermal waters.

You should also avoid digging in or stirring up sediment in shallow waters, since that's where amebae are more likely to live.

And either hold your nose shut, use nasal clips or keep your head above water while swimming.

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HEALTH
What is Shigella, the increasingly drug-resistant bacteria the CDC is warning about?
People should also try not to let water into their nose while bathing, showering, or washing their face, Florida health officials say.

They recommend keeping plastic or inflatable pools clean by emptying, scrubbing and letting them dry after each use, and disinfecting swimming pools with chlorine before and during use.

Officials also warn not to let kids play with hoses or sprinklers unsupervised, and to avoid slip-n-slides or other similar activities where it's hard to prevent water from getting in the nose.

LINK: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/03...-brain-eating-amoeba

Not the first time this has happened using tap water in Neti pots. Not the first time it has been in the news.

When will people learn?

-Rob

My squeeze bottle nasal squirter directions say Distilled only on the directions.

Excuse me, lavage

Yes, I've heard of a lot of people getting brain-eating amoeba using a nasal rinse/neti pot. Make the effort to buy distilled or purified water, or boil it clean yourself. NEVER use water straight from the tap.

(Incidentally, I may have had the Shigella bug for the past 4 weeks. )

Oh crap, I guess I am going to have to plug my nose when showering now.

In related news:


Charlotte County Utilities changing disinfection process for drinking water supply

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — Charlotte County Utilities, in conjunction with the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, will temporarily change the disinfection process for its potable (drinking) water supply.

The change is from March 15, 2023, through May 14, 2023, the water will be disinfected with free chlorine rather than chlorine combined with ammonia (chloramines). This conversion to free chlorine from chloramines allows the utility to perform a distribution system purge as recommended by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for water utilities using chloramines as their primary disinfectant.

In a press release, a “free chlorine conversion”, as it is known, is a common practice by public water systems that use chloramines to periodically increase the level of disinfectant residual throughout the distribution system.

Charlotte County Utilities says the water will remain safe to drink throughout this process and boiling water is not necessary.

They say customers may notice a change in the taste and smell of the water. The water may discolor laundered clothes. Homeowners should flush any cloudy or discolored water that may enter the plumbing by running a faucet for several minutes or until the water runs clear.

There is a TV commercial for a gadget called Navage. Kinda like a power washer, but for your sinus. Not one word is mentioned on the blurb that you might successfully flush your innards but poison your brain.

Sure, it’s easy to use distilled water for sinus rinse, so why not do it and avoid the risk.

With that said… unusual, and especially unusually grisly, causes of death seem to get really disproportionate attention.

The US averages just under THREE cases of naegleria fowleri infection per year. (Not three from sinus irrigation - three, total, period, from any and all sources of infection.)

You are literally ten times more likely to die from being stuck by lightning, a hundred times more likely to die from falling off a ladder, and a thousand times more likely to die of food poisoning.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
There is a TV commercial for a gadget called Navage. Kinda like a power washer, but for your sinus. Not one word is mentioned on the blurb that you might successfully flush your innards but poison your brain.

I actually have a Navage (and use neti pot, too).

The Navage is pretty great when you’re really congested.

The instructions say that the FDA and CDC recommend distilled, filtered, or boiled and cooled water.

This kind of story is why I love being on a well instead of “city water”. Our local shitty water has frequent health advisories whereas our well water (pump at 420’, bore hole goes to 680’) is basically sterile.

And just why does the tap water have brain eating amoeba in it? Is it not tested for it?

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
And just why does the tap water have brain eating amoeba in it? Is it not tested for it?

It sounds weird, but as long as the concentration is below a certain level, it's considered acceptable for public consumption. Below a certain specification, water is considered potable if the concentration is too low to result in infection by just drinking it, although it might be dangerous through direct contact with the nasal passages (very short trip to the brain there).

Their public water supply clearly has a problem and there have been other warnings recently.
However you can buy nasal spray for a few dollars that is sterile and made for that use. Even though I have a well and have had the water tested, I wouldn't use it without boiling if I was going to squirt it up my nose.

We’ve had the occasional boil water notice because of a water main being broken then repaired and there was the boil water notice after Hurricane Ian, but I’ve lived here for 22 years and don’t recall any real issues with our municipal water.

I’m order to get this brain eating amoeba, you have to shove water that has the amoeba way the heck up your nose. There is no other way to contract it.