Man Dies After Contracting Brain-Eating Infection From Tap Water

A man in Florida died from a brain-eating amoeba that he may have contracted after rinsing his sinuses with tap water, health officials said.

The Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County said in a Feb. 23 news release that it is continuing to investigate the cause of the Naegleria fowleri infection. The patient has not been publicly identified.
 
N. Fowleri is a single-celled organism that can be found in soil and fresh water around the world. It likes heat and grows best at high temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so infections are most commonly reported in the summer. Most come from swimming in warm lakes or rivers.