US citizen dies from brain-eating amoeba
A US citizen has died after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, reports BBC.
The victim from Florida state was probably infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with tap water, said health experts.
They say the brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri infects the brain through the nose. However, drinking it is not dangerous.
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Infections are almost always fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Officials have not identified the victim.
On 23 February, the Florida Department of Heath said that a patient had been infected "possibly as a result of sinus rinse practices" utilising tap water.
On Thursday, a spokesman for the state health agency confirmed that the patient had died.
Officials across multiple government agencies are "continuing to investigate how this infection occurred," spokesman Jae Williams said.
He added that officials are "working with the local public utilities to identify any potential links and make any necessary corrective actions".
The amoeba typically lives in warm fresh water such as swimming pools, lakes and ponds.
