Florida man dies of brain-eating amoeba after flushing sinuses with tap water

A Florida man has died after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba. This happened after he flushed his sinuses with tap water. Writes about it The Hill.

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Charlotte County health officials said an unnamed male patient contracted Naegleria fowleri after rinsing his sinuses with tap water. Eric Milbrandt, laboratory director of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, said the microorganism can only enter the human body through the nose.

“It can be found in hot springs, warm water, lakes, as well as hot water tanks and, in some very rare cases, tap water,” Milbrandt said.

On the subject: Brain-eating amoeba: where infection is most common and who is at risk

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. Every year from 2012 to 2021, about 5 cases were diagnosed in the United States.

"This is the first reported case of Naegleria fowleri infection in the US this year and the first case reported during the winter months in the United States," the CDC said.

Naegleria fowleri causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a condition in which brain tissue is destroyed and swelling occurs. The mortality rate is very high - out of 154 cases between 1962 and 2021, only four people survived.

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“The first symptoms of PAM usually appear about 5 days after infection, but they can appear within 1-12 days. Main symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting, the CDC says. — Late symptoms may include a stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and the environment, seizures, hallucinations and coma. Once symptoms appear, the disease progresses rapidly and usually leads to death within about 5 days.”

You can learn more about Naegleria fowleri infection at CDC website.

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