PUBLIC HEALTHBrain-Eating Amoeba Kills Florida Resident
A Florida resident died after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba. The victim was infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with tap water. The amoeba is deadly: only four of the 154 people infected in the U.S. survived.
Health officials Charlotte County, Florida, said a resident of the county dies after being infected by Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba.
The victim was infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with tap water.
Health experts say that Naegleria fowleri infects the brain through the nose, and that drinking water contaminated with the amoeba does not pose health risks.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infections with the amoeba are almost always fatal.
Officials have not identified the victim.
Jae Williams, a spokesman for Florida state health agency said that officials across multiple government agencies are “continuing to investigate how this infection occurred.” He added that officials are “working with the local public utilities to identify any potential links and make any necessary corrective actions.”
The amoeba lives in warm fresh water such as swimming pools, lakes, and ponds. If entered the body through the nose, it can lead to a severe, often fatal, infection, but it is normally safe if ingested through the mouth because powerful stomach acids kill the single-cell microorganism.
The amoeba causes a disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, a stiff neck, a loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations.
CDC says that about three Americans get infected each year, nearly always with deadly consequences. Records show that between 1962 and 2021, only four of the 154 people infected in the U.S. survived.
CDC data also suggests that most of the infections occur in the spring and summer, and that infection in winter months is rare.
Officials say that people should not rinse out their nasal passages with untreated tap water, using instead sterile or distilled water.
Tap water should be used only if boiled for at least one minute and cooled before use.
People are also advised to avoid taking on water in their nose while in swimming pools or bathing or showering.
