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Florida health officials are investigating whether a man who died from a brain-eating amoeba contracted it after rinsing his sinuses with tap water.
The state Health Department in Charlotte County confirmed its ongoing investigation into the cause of the Naegleria fowleri infection in a news release shared on February 23, NBC News reported on Friday (March 2). The single-celled organism is present in soil and freshwater worldwide and grows best at high temperatures, which is why its most commonly reported in the summer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many cases stem from people swimming in lakes and rivers, however, infections are very rare, only arising when contaminated water enters through the individual's sinuses.
“You CANNOT be infected by drinking tap water,” the Health Department said in its news release.
The agency urged all individuals to rinse their sinuses with distilled or sterile water, which commonly involves neti pots.
"Tap water should be boiled for at least 1 minute and cooled before sinus rinsing," the release stated.
The agency didn't publicly identify the Florida man who died from the brain-eating amoeba. Three confirmed cases of N. fowleri were reported in Iowa, Nebraska and Arizona in 2022, all of which occurred after exposure to freshwater, according to the CDC.
Three other cases were also reported between 2019-21.