The woman contracted a fatal infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba and died eight days after developing symptoms.

A Texas woman died from an infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba days after she cleaned her sinuses using tap water, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case report.

The woman, an otherwise healthy 71-year-old, developed “severe neurologic symptoms,” including fever, headache and an altered mental status, four days after she filled a nasal irrigation device with tap water from her RV’s water system at a Texas campsite, the CDC report said.

She was treated for primary amebic meningoencephalitis — a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as the “brain-eating amoeba.” Despite treatment, the woman experienced seizures and died from the infection eight days after she developed symptoms, the agency said.

  • FuckFascism@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    If you read the fucking instructions you’ll find it says use distilled water. But why read the instructions on a medical device when you can get your brains eaten instead?!

    • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      To be fair, I made this error before. I was like why do they have those dumbass neti pots when you can just use shower water for free? Then that night I read about brain eating amebas and freaked tf out. In a panic I tried to boil some water to rinse my sinuses with, and since I was so panicked, I didn’t wait long enough to let the water cool completely, and I’m pretty sure I burnt my sinuses and maybe even the part of my brain that’s right there. I had a splitting headache for like a month and thought I was gonna die n had the brain eating ameba. I think in hindsight what’s more likely is my sinuses and everything were burnt and my body was freaking out trying to fix it. 0/10 do not recommend.

      Use a neti pot and use boiled or distilled water. Don’t be a dummy like me.

        • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
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          6 hours ago

          I’m very aware. It was the dumbest shit I’ve done in my life. It absolutely fucked with my short term memory and even my speech. It’s taken years to feel semi back to normal. I still don’t feel all the way like I used to unfortunately, but I try not to dwell on it.