Today, Friday, US health authorities announced the death of a man who contracted a brain-eating amoeba after rinsing his nose with tap water.
The Florida Health Department of Charlotte County confirmed the death in a news release, but did not provide details about the victim.
The authority is still investigating the death that occurred on February 23, without providing any additional details, according to British Sky News.
A health bulletin issued by the authority indicated that infection with this amoeba does not occur from drinking tap water, but it advised boiling the water for at least one minute before cleaning the nose, or using distilled water for that purpose.
Last year, the United States recorded three confirmed cases of a brain-eating amoeba, according to official figures.
Records indicate that these injuries occurred after exposure to fresh water in Iowa, Arizona and Nebraska.
There were also three cases of infection in the United States in each of 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Brain-eating amoeba
- The brain-eating amoeba is one of the most dangerous parasites to humans, as it infiltrates from freshwater habitats through the nose to the brain and central nervous system, and causes primary amoebic meningitis.
- Infection occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm fresh water places such as lakes or rivers.
- Symptoms of the infection appear in stages, as the first stage includes a severe frontal headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
- Stage 2 symptoms include neck stiffness and hallucinations, with possible coma.
- Brain-eating amoeba, a single-celled organism found in soil and fresh water all over the world.