CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that a 71-year-old Texas woman died in 2024 after contracting a brain-eating amoeba from using tap water in her recreational vehicle for a nasal rinse.
Health officials warn that the deadly amoeba, known as Naegleria fowleri, can be found in any freshwater source.
The woman's death highlights the importance of using only distilled, sterilized or properly boiled water for nasal irrigation devices like neti pots.
"When water is not cared for, when water is untreated, when temperatures begin to rise and the water heats up, it creates an environment that is just ripe for this brain-eating amoeba to develop, to grow," Stephen Stewart said.
Stewart represented the parents of Bakari Williams, a 3-year-old boy who died after contracting the amoeba during a visit to an Arlington city splash pad. The case resulted in $600,000 in improvements to ensure public pools and splash pads are adequately chlorinated.
The city of Arlington implemented the "Bakari Williams Protocol" three years ago, making water safety a top priority heading into the summer months.
For John Crawson and Laci Avant, the news brings back painful memories of their daughter Lily, who contracted the amoeba while swimming in the Brazos River during Labor Day weekend in 2019.
Five days after swimming, the 10-year-old developed a headache and fever. By the next morning, she had to be airlifted to Cook Children's Hospital, where a spinal tap confirmed she had contracted Naegleria fowleri.
"They then told us that it's 99% fatal. Um, started administering the medication and we... we never got talk to her again after that," Lily's parents said.
As of 2023, the CDC reported 164 known cases of the infection, with only four survivors.
The amoeba enters through the nose and thrives in warm freshwater. It can also be found in inadequately chlorinated pools and contaminated tap water.
Lily's parents now urge people to know the symptoms and take simple preventative measures.
"We don't want people to stay away from lakes or having fun. We just want to educate them. Uh, for God's sake, if you're going to wear a life jacket, wear a nose plug or keep your head above water or plug your nose when you're swimming," they said.
While the CDC says cases are rare, some may go unreported because early symptoms mimic meningitis or the flu.
