Doctors Say Tap Water in Neti Pot Caused Fatal Brain-Eating Amoeba

Doctors Say Tap Water in Neti Pot Caused Fatal Brain-Eating Amoeba A 69-year-old resident of Seattle died after undergoing brain surgery in February. According to her doctor at Swedish Medical Center, there were “amoeba all over the place just eating brain cells.” There have only been three similar cases in the U.S. in the past decade. Doctors believe the victim likely became infected when she used tap water in a
neti pot, a device used to flush out nasal passages. Health officials say only sterile, distilled or water that's been previously boiled should be used to rinse ones sinuses. A study from the International Journal of Infectious Diseases says tap water may contain organisms that are safe to drink, but could survive in nasal passages.