Neti Pot Deaths Linked to Brain-Eating Amoeba in Tap Water

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Louisiana health regulators have issued a warning regarding the dangers of using neti pots improperly, particularly highlighting the risk of Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba linked to two deaths this year. The primary concern is the use of tap water for nasal irrigation, which is deemed unsafe; instead, distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water should be used. Users are advised to rinse and air dry their neti pots after each use to minimize risks. The discussion also touches on broader concerns about water safety, including the potential for parasites from tap water, and the importance of proper eye care, especially regarding contact lenses. While some participants express skepticism about the safety of tap water, others note that city water is generally treated and chlorinated, reducing the risk of contamination. The conversation emphasizes the need for caution when using water for personal hygiene, particularly in sensitive areas like the sinuses and ears.
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I know lisab uses these.

AAARRRGGHH!

Louisiana health regulators warned residents Tuesday about the dangers of using neti pots improperly. A neti pot, which looks like a genie's lamp, is commonly used to irrigate sinuses. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals issued its warning following a second death this year caused by Naegleria fowleri, the so-called brain-eating amoeba.

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/flu/neti-pot-deaths-linked-brain-eating-amoeba-tap-water
 
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That might essplane whaaaas hapenig to meeeeeee
 
:eek: holy crap!

'scuse me now, I have to go itch my brain...
 
This happened to me and I can tell you it's quite a tragedy. Millions of amoeba starved to death.
 
I think the problem is with the water used not the process.
 
edward said:
I think the problem is with the water used not the process.
Yes, it's the water, as mentioned in the title. :smile: But don't people bathe with that tap water? I think if there were "Brain-Eating Amoeba in my Tap Water", I'd be a bit upset.

I have a co-worker that lost an eye to parasites that got into his eyes from taking a shower. It laid eggs under his contact lens and when they hatched, they ate their way into his eyes. He woke up blind and that started the worse two years of his life trying to save one eye. He completely lost the other.

No way, no how, do I let tap water splash on my face. I buy those disposable sterilized facial cleanser cloths. With my luck, having a friend go blind from washing his face, ain't no way I'm tempting fate.
 
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edward said:
I think the problem is with the water used not the process.
MMM, mago tyree pton't fengo top prgmore anyway.
 
Chi Meson said:
MMM, mago tyree pton't fengo top prgmore anyway.
:smile:
 
If you visit american city,
You will find it very pretty.
Just two things of which you must beware:
Don’t drink the water and don’t breathe the air.

Pollution, pollution,
They got smog and sewage and mud.
Turn on your tap and get hot and cold running crud.

See the halibuts and the sturgeons
Being wiped out by detergents.
Fish got to swim and birds got to fly,
But they don’t last long if they try.

Pollution, pollution,
You can use the latest toothpaste,
And then rinse your mouth with industrial waste.

Tom Lehrer
 
  • #10
You can get them from swimming in fresh water lakes if you disturb the bottom - especially in semi tropical or tropical areas. The problem is when they get in your eyes or up your nose.

If you have city water you're likely fine but I use a 3 stage filter anyway for drinking. I bet if you nuke the water first or as they suggest, boil it, it would be safe. My dad used to spray his with salt water solution but don't know what concentration would be needed to kill them moebas.

A lot of people get in trouble leaving contacts in at night. Supposedly you can safely do that but my friend got hay under her lens and the ophthalmologist had to use this hook to get it out and it ulcerated her cornea. she's had PTS ever since then. We've been told it's a lot safer to take them out at night and clean your eyes and the lenses.

When a family member took parasitology we all had fun with the horror stories and video of things like fish that will swim up a urine stream in the air if you pee in their habitat and continue on into the urethra and they have razor sharp fins, so once in there, it's really hard to get them out. YOWWWW Biologists can really creep you out.
 
  • #11
Just goes to show that WC Fields was right about water!

We're on a well. A lot of people play games with purification, but you can't beat chlorine for reliability and effectiveness. So I use chlorine followed by a reaction chamber, a clarifier, a carbon filter, and then a softner. Now when we travel and have to drink city water... YUCK!
 
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  • #12
The day the amoeba evolves into areoba I'll start to breath through a neti pot.
 
  • #13
saw this story earlier and was somewhat concerned since i use a neti pot sometimes. but looking closer, it seems that these guys really like warm or hot water sources. our city water comes from the ground, is chlorinated, flouridated, and who knows what else. so, lower temps and water treatment leave me less worried.
 
  • #14
...If you are irrigating, flushing, or rinsing your sinuses, for example, by using a neti pot, use distilled, sterile or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution," said Louisiana State Epidemiologist, Dr. Raoult Ratard. "Tap water is safe for drinking, but not for irrigating your nose." It's also important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave open to air dry...
http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/2332
 
  • #15
I wonder, what about for ears? I've always used warm tap water to irrigate my ears..
 
  • #16
Be careful about spraying water in your ears. It can make you vomit or lose your equilibrium or both if I'm remembering correctly. I think cold is worse than warm. No amoeba can't get through your eardrum unless you blow it out with too much pressure. I remember as a child, my mom put warm oil in my ears when I had an earache. It worked great.
 
  • #17
What it is with with people that feel the need to pump things into all of the holes in their body?
 
  • #18
Regarding the sinuses, specialists says that spraying your sinuses should become a habit like brushing your teeth since all day long they are bombarded with all sorts of nasty things from our dirty air. Ears, on the other hand, being a lot more delicate, don't require irrigation as you can even get swimmers ear from doing it too often but again according to my specialists you can use the over the counter drops every month or so to prevent your ear from getting clogged from wax buildup. (Which I might add is exacerbated by people who use cotton swabs in them) No it doesn't cause problems to wash behind your ears.
 

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