Overview

• A 71-year-old Texas woman died last year from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis after rinsing her sinuses with tap water from an RV’s plumbing at a campground.
• The CDC confirmed Naegleria fowleri in her brain and spinal fluid, diagnosing the rare infection that begins when amoeba-contaminated water enters the nose.
• Texas accounts for 39 of the 160 documented US Naegleria fowleri cases, making it the state with the highest number of infections.
• Only about three cases are reported each year nationally, typically during warmer months when people swim in untreated fresh water.
• The Texas Department of State Health Services says tap water is safe to drink but recommends using boiled, distilled or sterile water for nasal irrigation.