this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
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The woman contracted a fatal infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba and died eight days after developing symptoms.

A Texas woman died from an infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba days after she cleaned her sinuses using tap water, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case report.

The woman, an otherwise healthy 71-year-old, developed "severe neurologic symptoms," including fever, headache and an altered mental status, four days after she filled a nasal irrigation device with tap water from her RV's water system at a Texas campsite, the CDC report said.

She was treated for primary amebic meningoencephalitis — a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as the "brain-eating amoeba." Despite treatment, the woman experienced seizures and died from the infection eight days after she developed symptoms, the agency said.

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[–] jagermo@feddit.org 26 points 3 days ago (6 children)

It blows my mind, that the richest country in one of the most developed areas on the globe is unable to provide save tap water.

[–] seathru@lemmy.sdf.org 60 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

tap water from her RV's water system

So basically water from a cistern. Not the public water system.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 37 points 3 days ago

Even if it was tap water, it’s safe to drink and cook with, not necessarily to wash your frontal lobe with.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 34 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

In most if not all places, the municipal tap water is perfectly safe (old lead service lines, neglected areas, and occasional local boil-water advisories notwithstanding). Private wells are another matter, but there's often little regulation on those, but there is lots of guidance available.

N. Fowelri requires something like 30 times the standard chlorine dose to kill. In municipal water systems, the most common source is biofilm that builds up in pipes in the water system and more often in the home/customer-side service line. This is especially true for older homes and poorly maintained apartment buildings.

I know it's all the rage right now to shit on the US when and where one can, but our water system isn't the place to do it.

Refs:

old lead service lines, neglected areas, and occasional local boil-water advisories notwithstanding

I know it’s all the rage right now to shit on the US when and where one can, but our water system isn’t the place to do it.

It sounds like the US water system is exactly the place to do it. We have neglected areas all over the place, and yet the EPA is being gutted and hamstrung and the HHS is trying to ban flouride instead of doing anything about vulnerable towns and schools that are just waiting to turn into Flint.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

apparently she was using stale water thats been sitting around for quite some time, this breeds bacteria, and amoebas. amoebas love to eat bacteria so they are found where tons of bacteria are. this is the case for legionaries disease, the bacteria love to infest amoebas.

the other kind of amoeba that can similar symptoms that also resulted in a brain eating form, is balumuthia amoeba.

[–] medgremlin@midwest.social 1 points 2 days ago

Legionnaires disease is actually an atypical bacteria that is commonly found in water and HVAC systems, separate from any kind of amoeba.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 3 points 2 days ago

Dude, i live in a city with some of the best tap water in the world. That has fuck all to do with this.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 0 points 3 days ago

Why? Countries become rich by greed.

I bet every "richest country in the world" in the history of earth had horrible poverty. How else would they become the richest country in the world? It's kinda an expected prerequisite

[–] MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de -2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Blame it on the idiots banning Flouridation and the like. Sadly, there's likely a large overlap with Netti-pot users.

There's useful paranoia, and then there's this.

[–] alekwithak@lemmy.world 25 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Whoa whoa whoa, a neti pot isn't some high energy life changing quartz or a magnetic bracelet that's supposed to realign your chacras. Neti pots have real, legitimate medical use and are recommended by many ENTs and allergists for a range of medical conditions. They also have clear warnings to use sterile water.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 5 points 3 days ago

They should be washed occasionally, too.

Nailed it with your last line.