Fatal Brain-Eating Amoeba Linked To Common Cold Remedy

The Louisiana Department of Health has issued a warning about improper Neti pot use, linked to two deadly infections.

Two New Orleans residents, died after using Neti pots containing tap water (instead of the recommended distilled water) to flush their sinuses. Both became infected with a parasite known as the brain-eating amoeba.

"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," Louisiana State epidemiologist Dr. Raoult Ratard said in a statement. "Tap water is safe for drinking but not for irrigating your nose."

The bacteria named, Naegleria fowleri enters the body through the nose to cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis -- a brain infection with symptoms similar to bacterial meningitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, nausea and stiff neck swiftly give way to confusion, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations. And if left untreated, the infection can cause death within one to 12 days according to medical experts.

The Neti pot is an ancient nasal irrigation system that when used properly is used to relieve congestion associated with the common cold, the flu and allergies.

Neti pot use has grown in recent years, but a 2009 study at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's annual meeting suggests that Neti pot overuse could increase the risk of sinus infections.

The warning from the Louisiana Department of Health cites the risks of improper Neti pot use. But when used and cleaned properly, the Neti pot is safe, Schaffner said

"Use sterile, boiled [and cooled] or distilled water; rinse [the Neti pot] out thoroughly after use; and air-dry it," he said, adding that water left in the Neti pot after use could become a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites that feed on mucus. "You don't have to send it to an autoclave, but it does require some attention to detail."

(From ABC News)