A 71-year-old woman from Texas tragically died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, following nasal irrigation using tap water.

The woman, who was staying in an RV, used unboiled water from the faucet to rinse her sinuses. Four days later, she began showing severe neurological symptoms, including seizures. Despite treatment, she succumbed to the infection eight days after symptoms began.

Naegleria fowleri causes a fatal brain condition called Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), which destroys brain tissue rapidly. This amoeba lives in warm freshwater and infects people when contaminated water enters the nose—commonly through swimming, diving, or nasal rinses.

Symptoms include high fever, intense headache, vomiting, confusion, hallucinations, and stiff neck. With a fatality rate of 98%, it’s one of the deadliest infections known. Experts warn people to use only sterilized or boiled water for nasal irrigation to prevent such tragic outcomes.