Woman Dies After Naegleria Fowleri Infection From Tap Water

Naegleria fowleri, referred to as the ‘brain-eating amoeba’, is a rare but deadly bacterium found in warm freshwater.

Brain-Eating Amoeba: Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba, is an extremely rare but deadly microorganism. It is found in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and occasionally poorly maintained swimming pools.

What is it and why is it so dangerous?

Naegleria fowleri is a very small, single-celled organism invisible to the naked eye. It thrives in warm temperatures, particularly in water above 30 ∘C (approximately 86 ∘F). Drinking the water will not make you ill. The real danger arises when it enters your nose—typically while swimming, diving, or jumping into warm freshwater.

Once in your nose, the amoeba can travel to your brain via the olfactory nerve. In the brain, it causes a rare but deadly infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Brain-Eating Amoeba Symptoms

Unfortunately, it progresses very rapidly. People usually begin experiencing symptoms within 1 to 12 days, and the disease is often fatal within about 5 days of symptom onset.

Initial symptoms of PAM can mimic severe meningitis or the flu:

Headache
Fever
Nausea
Vomiting
Stiff neck

The condition then worsens—confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and ultimately coma. Because it progresses so quickly and initially mimics other infections, timely diagnosis is very difficult.

What is Brain-Eating Amoeba?

The brain-eating amoeba is a microorganism scientifically known as Naegleria fowleri. It is so small that it cannot be seen without a microscope.

Brain-Eating Amoeba: Recent Case

In the USA, a 71-year-old woman died from this brain-eating amoeba. She had used tap water to rinse her sinuses, sourced from her RV’s water system. Tap water, if not properly sterilised or filtered, can be a risk factor for such dangerous amoeba.

Brain-Eating Amoeba: How to Protect Yourself?

While it sounds terrifying, infection is extremely rare. To stay safe:

Avoid getting water up your nose while swimming in warm freshwater—wear a nose clip.
Avoid stirring up sediment in the water.

Brain-Eating Amoeba: Avoid jumping or diving into deep water.

And most importantly, never use tap water to rinse your nose or sinuses unless it has been properly sterilised or filtered.

Naegleria fowleri might sound like something out of a horror film, but exercising caution around warm freshwater is key.