Florida Man Dies From Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection

A general view of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., on Sept. 30, 2014. Tami Chappell/Reuters

A man in Florida has died after becoming infected with an amoeba known to damage the brain, likely after using nonsterile tap water to clear his sinuses, health officials said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement to Fox4 that it had been notified of the death in Florida on Feb. 20. The resident was infected by Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a disease of the central nervous system that is almost always fatal.

Naegleria fowleri usually eats bacteria, but once it gets into the human brain, it consumes neurons.

“The adult patient reportedly performed nasal rinsing daily with unboiled tap water, which is thought to be the source of the infection,” the agency said.

“CDC is supporting the Florida Department of Health in its investigation of the case. This is the first reported case of Naegleria fowleri infection in the United States this year, and the first ever reported in winter months in the United States.”

Between 2013 and 2022, only 29 cases of Naegleria fowleri infection have been reported in America, with annual cases ranging from zero to five. The amoeba thrives in warm fresh water and hot springs.

If water containing the amoeba enters the nose, the microbe can get to the brain and cause PAM.

The Infection

On Feb. 23, the Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County (DOH-Charlotte) said in a news release that a case of Naegleria fowleri had been identified. However, it is unclear whether this is the same case as the one confirmed by the CDC. This incident is also suspected to have involved the use of sinus rinsing using tap water.

According to the CDC, 154 PAM infections have been registered across the country between 1962 and 2021, with only four survivors. This brings the fatality rate of the Naegleria fowleri to over 97 percent.

“These infections have primarily occurred in 15 southern-tier states, with almost half of all infections occurring in Texas and Florida. PAM also disproportionately affects males and children,” according to the CDC.

“The reason for this distribution pattern is unclear but may reflect the types of water activities (such as diving or watersports) that might be more common among young boys.”

Of the 154 total infections recorded, 126 have been reported in children and more than 75 percent of infections were found in males.

Naegleria fowleri does not infect people who drink contaminated water. Instead, the amoeba migrates to the brain via the nose. In addition to water, the amoeba is known to spread through aerosol droplets and water vapor.

Precautions Against Infection

In its news release, DOH-Charlotte warned residents to take precautions to protect themselves against potential Naegleria fowleri infections.

“When making sinus rinse solutions, use only distilled or sterile water. Tap water should be boiled for at least 1 minute and cooled before sinus rinsing. DO NOT allow water to go up your nose or sniff water into your nose when bathing, showering, washing your face, or swimming in small hard plastic/blow-up pools,” the agency said.

DOH-Charlotte asked parents not to leave children unsupervised when playing with sprinklers and hoses as kids can accidentally squirt water up their noses. It warned against allowing children to engage in activities like slip-n-slides. Swimming pools must be disinfected before use, it advised.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against cleaning noses improperly, such as using tap water. As tap water is not filtered or treated, it is not safe for nasal rinse and may contain organisms that could stay in the nasal passages resulting in serious infections.

For a nasal rinse, the FDA advises people to only use distilled or sterile water, water that has been passed through a filter that traps microbes, or water that has been boiled for three to five minutes and cooled until lukewarm.