A lady died after cleaning her sinuses with contaminated water, prompting experts to issue a warning.
The anonymous 71-year-old died when a single-celled brain-eating creature known as an amoeba infiltrated her body.
While you should always follow the advice of your local water supply when it comes to drinking tap water, doing so does expose you to some illnesses.
Amoeba, if inhaled, can travel to the brain and cause a deadly illness.
Of course, this is extremely unusual, but as this woman’s experience demonstrates, it is not impossible.
While the Texas Department of State Health Services states that the tap water in the region is safe to drink, the Daily Mail says that the lady cleaned her sinuses in water from an RV’s water system at a campsite.
The lady was infected with Naegleria fowleri, which is generally found in warm-water lakes and rivers and, while unusual, kills over 97% of those who catch it.
Between 1962 and 2022, the CDC reported 157 occurrences of the illness in the United States, demonstrating its rarity.
While unusual, experts say the case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards, according to the Daily Mail.
Ingesting this infected water through the mouth, while not recommended, is typically safe since stomach acid is strong enough to destroy the amoeba.
To reduce potential noise exposure, doctors recommend boiling or using distilled water to rinse sinuses.
According to the New York Post, parents/guardians should watch youngsters who are playing with sprinklers, and diving underwater in a bath or freshwater is definitely best avoided.
Meanwhile, if you’ve been on vacation and haven’t returned to your home in a few days, it’s advised that you run the shower or sink for several minutes to flush away any stagnant water.
It comes only weeks after a man died unexpectedly as a result of ‘drinking too much water’ during a medical treatment.
Sean O’Donnell, 59, died because his brain enlarged due to an excess of water, resulting in seizures, cardiac arrest, and death on the same day he left the hospital for a routine operation.
St. Vincent’s Hospital earlier accepted a violation of duty of care, and his family received €35,000 ($38,144) in compensation for emotional suffering, according to the Irish Independent.