Texas: Woman Dies After Contracting Brain-Eating Amoeba at Campground

In a tragic case from Texas, a healthy 71-year-old woman lost her life after rinsing her sinuses with tap water at a campground.

What Happened

The woman, who was on a camping trip in her RV, had reportedly used unboiled tap water to perform nasal irrigation over four days. Soon after, she began showing symptoms like high fever, severe headaches, confusion, and eventually seizures. Despite medical treatment, her condition rapidly declined, and she died eight days after symptoms began.

Health officials later confirmed that her death was caused by a rare but fatal brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), triggered by the presence of Naegleria fowleri—often referred to as the brain-eating amoeba—in her system. The organism was detected in her cerebrospinal fluid during testing.

What Investigations Revealed

An epidemiologic investigation was launched by the Texas Department of State Health Services. It concluded that the woman had used a nasal irrigation device filled with tap water, either from the RV’s onboard tank or a municipal water hookup. The exact source couldn’t be confirmed, but the route of exposure was established as unfiltered tap water.

The CDC collected 12 environmental samples during the investigation, including the irrigation device, water from the RV’s heater, and other sources connected to the RV’s system. While Naegleria fowleri DNA or viable amoeba were not found in any of the samples, the confirmed infection in the patient highlighted the dangers of even trace contamination.

What is Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled, microscopic organism found in warm freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained swimming pools. It thrives in high temperatures, particularly in water above 30°C, and is almost impossible to detect without advanced laboratory testing.

Infection from this organism is extremely rare, but when it happens, it can be deadly. The amoeba enters the human body through the nose, typically during activities like diving, swimming, or using untreated water for nasal rinses. From there, it travels through the olfactory nerve to the brain, causing a severe and fast-moving infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

The illness usually begins 1 to 12 days after exposure, with symptoms like headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and neck stiffness. As the infection worsens, it can lead to confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. Most cases progress quickly, often resulting in death within about five days after symptoms appear. The fatality rate is estimated to be around 97–98 percent, making early detection and prevention crucial.

Precautionary Measures

To lower the risk of Naegleria fowleri infection, public health agencies recommend avoiding nasal exposure to untreated warm freshwater sources, especially in the summer months. Wearing nose clips, avoiding head-first entry into shallow or warm freshwater, and steering clear of disturbing bottom sediments are considered safer practices.

For nasal irrigation, only sterile, distilled, or previously boiled water should be used. Tap water—despite appearing clean—can still contain harmful microorganisms if not properly treated.

Though Naegleria fowleri infections are exceedingly uncommon, their rapid progression and devastating outcome make them a serious concern.

(Input From Various Sources)

(Rehash/Pooja Bansal/MSM)