A case of a “brain-eating amoeba” has been reported in Florida, possibly associated with sinus lavage with tap water.

Florida Department of Health reported an infestation of Naegleria fowleri, also known as the “brain-eating amoeba”, in Charlotte County.

In a statement last week, the department did not name the infected person or provide any information about their condition, but said the person became infected “possibly through the practice of sinus gargling using tap water.”

Naegleria fowleri infection causes a brain infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). This disease, according to Centers for Disease Control and Preventionalmost always fatal, with a mortality rate exceeding 97%.

Naegleria fowleri, a single-celled living amoeba, is rare and can only become infected when amoeba-infected water enters the body through the nose. The department stressed that drinking tap water poses no threat, and officials are investigating how the contamination occurred “to identify any potential links and take necessary corrective action.”

The Department stressed that when using sinus rinses, people should only use distilled or sterile water. When using tap water, it should be boiled for at least one minute and cooled before use. People should also exercise caution when swimming in fresh water. According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri is most commonly found in water with temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Department has warned that people who experience symptoms such as headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, confusion, stiff neck, loss of balance, seizures, and/or hallucinations after swimming in warm lakes or rivers or using sinus rinses should immediately seek medical attention. . These symptoms usually begin a few days after infection. Death occurs within one to 18 days after the onset of symptoms.

The CDC reports that Naegleria fowleri infections are rare, with 157 cases reported in the United States from 1962 to 2022. Of these cases, two people became infected after washing their sinuses with contaminated tap water.

Between 1962 and 2022, 37 cases of Naegleria fowleri infection have been reported. diagnosis in Florida, the CDC said. A boy who visited Florida contracted an amoeba and died from PAM in 2020. In 2022, a Florida teenager was infected and has been fighting for his life for months; According to his family’s mid-February GoFundMe update, he is still alive.

If the teenager survives, he will become fifth known person in the United States to overcome Naegleria fowleri infection.

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