Neti Pot linked to "brain eating amoeba"

[SuperSleeper]

Jonathan Yoder, an epidemiologist with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said the Louisiana cases are still being investigated to ascertain that the deaths did indeed result from exposure to treated tap water in neti pots, rather than exposure to untreated water in a pond or lake. If so, they are the first known incidences of the disease in the U.S. resulting from N. fowleri organisms surviving the water treatment process.

source: http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/1...eba-deaths

They never really blamed the neti pot although the media headlines make it look that way. This article states clearly that it was used NOT in accordance to the instructions and the others did say it was the water and how it was used. The neti pot just happened to be the object in use. But the headlines would never say "Jet Ski Causes PEMA Death".

What I found interesting was that it was from a municipal water source which most of us would consider safe.

[SuperSleeper]

They never really blamed the neti pot although the media headlines make it look that way. This article states clearly that it was used NOT in accordance to the instructions and the others did say it was the water and how it was used. The neti pot just happened to be the object in use. But the headlines would never say "Jet Ski Causes PEMA Death".

What I found interesting was that it was from a municipal water source which most of us would consider safe.

[SuperSleeper]

I bought a new NeilMed Sinus Rinse yesterday because my old one is getting pretty grotty. Here's what it says in the instructions about the water ...

"Use distilled, filtered, or previously boiled tap water (which is safe because boiling sterilizes it)."

[SuperSleeper]

If anything can live through the amount of chlorine in our municipal water - I'll eat my shorts. It is so bad (high in my iopinion) we have a water cooler in the kitchen, and we don't need to add "bleach" to the laundry to get those brighter whites.

[SuperSleeper]

If anything can live through the amount of chlorine in our municipal water - I'll eat my shorts. It is so bad (high in my iopinion) we have a water cooler in the kitchen, and we don't need to add "bleach" to the laundry to get those brighter whites.

The thing is, though, you can't depend on those who operate the municipal water suppy equipment to be consistent. Sometimes they get compaints of a yellow color in the water, which indicates way too much chlorine. If yours is consistently high it's probably because your water needs it.

What if, on some day, they don't put in enough chlorine by mistake? This is probably why the manufacturer's label warns you to boil the water first. It kills the germs.

[SuperSleeper]

Now this thread can add to my insomnia. I have used netti pots but not lately. Maybe this is why I have brain fog more now. Just one more thing to worry about. I do have distilled water for my C-pap, guess I will use that water next time just in case.

I sincerely doubt the amoeba would be able to make it all the way up the hose. Don't panic. If you read the articles, it says they must be FORCED up the nose such as with jet skiiing, water skiiing, and nasal rinses. It could just as easily happen with one of the bottles as it did with the neti pot. However, so little moisture actually makes it up the CPAP hose.

[SuperSleeper]

I don't think this NPR article has been cited yet in this thread. It's really just more of the same, but it does prompt me to ask a question.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/12/...ng?sc=emaf

Why the recommendation of filtered water? Will a filter remove the amoeba? The reason I ask is because the municipal water that arrives at my house first goes through a sediment filter followed by a water softener (the garden variety that uses resin beads to exchange ions) before it gets to my domestic water heater. Is this enough to remove amoeba? If not, I can use the water that's further processed by a reverse osmosis filter (or even boil it). But then I have to go through the extra step of heating it to the right temperature before using it. It's much more convenient to use the hot tap water in the same bathroom sink where I irrigate my sinuses.


Here's the full text of the article (it's very short):

Second Neti-Pot Death From Amoeba Prompts Tap-Water Warning
by Nancy Shute

December 19, 2011

Washing noses with neti pots or squeeze bottles has become increasingly popular as a home remedy for colds, allergies and sinus trouble. But it's not such a great remedy if it kills you.

Now that two people have died from infection with brain-eating amoebas after using neti pots, doctors are warning: do not put tap water up your nose.

"Drinking water is good to drink, very safe to drink, but not to push up your nose," says Raoult Ratard, state epidemiologist for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. Two residents of his state have died after using neti pots this year, the first known deaths associated with neti pots. "The first one could have been a fluke," Ratard told Shots. But now that we have a second one, the only explanation is the use of the neti pot."

The first death came in June, when a 20-year-old man died of encephalitis caused by infection with Naegleria fowleri. That amoeba is common in rivers and lakes, but only very rarely causes brain infections. Back in August, we reported on several deaths in children who had been jumping or diving in fresh water. But since adults are less likely to be doing cannonballs, they're also less likely to be infected.

Then in October, a 51-year-old Louisiana woman died of encephalitis. The doctor thought to ask if she used a neti pot. Both her brain tissue and her home's tap water tested positive for the microbe. Ratard says: "They found the amoeba, the lady was using a neti pot, and had no contact whatsoever with surface water."

Thus the new warning from Louisiana: If using a neti pot or other nasal irrigation device, use distilled or filtered water. Keeping the device clean is crucial, too, Ratard says. A neti pot, which looks like a small genie lamp, can be safely washed in a dishwasher, but squeeze bottles and other devices need to be scrubbed. All need to dry between uses. "If you let them dry completely, the amoebas are not going to survive long," Ratard says.

A quick survey of neti pots and squeeze bottles finds that the instructions recommend using boiled, distilled or filtered water. But like so many simple hygiene instructions, it's one that's easy to let slide. The prospect of death by brain-eating amoeba, rare though it is, should provide enough motivation to follow the rules.

[SuperSleeper]

'Brain-Eating' Amoeba and Your CPAP Mask: Should You Worry?

After reports of two people dying from exposure to parasites in contaminated tap water in their neti pots, it's natural to worry about the risk from other water-containing devices, such as those used to treat sleep apnea. Here's what to know.

By Jaimie Dalessio, Senior Editor

For people who use neti pots to help clear out their sinuses, recent news of deaths linked to contaminated tap water in the sinus-irrigating devices and subsequent warnings from Louisiana health officials may spark some alarm. But what about those who use other water-containing devices, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask for sleep apnea? Is the risk the same?

William Schaffner, MD, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., says no.

“First of all, the risk of this amoeba infection, neti pots aside, is very rare,” he says. “The average physician is vastly unlikely to ever see a case, and in fact, the average infectious diseases specialist is unlikely to see a case.”

Dr. Schaffner explains this particular infection, Naegleria fowleri, usually occurs in the summertime, in the south (because it’s warmer), among otherwise healthy people, often young adults, who swim and go deep diving in standing water, such as a non-flowing river or lake. Warm, non-moving water makes prime breeding ground for this type of amoeba. Divers are especially vulnerable, since contaminated water can flow up the nose and, on extremely rare occasions, the free-living amoeba can invade the cavity that surrounds the brain, where they multiply and cause infection.

So what about a neti pot can create the same scenario? A neti pot is essentially a reservoir of standing water, and the whole point is to put that water (which you mix with salt to create a saline solution) into your nose and up near your sinuses.

“Somehow, we’re not entirely sure exactly how, the amoeba can get into that salt solution,” says Schaffner, whether directly from the tap, after sitting out on a windowsill or after you stick your thumb in there, he points out. If the solution sits out long enough and the amoeba continues to grow, “the solution could be analogous to the water that diver goes in.” To prevent this, always use your neti pot promptly after mixing the solution (don’t let it sit out) and rinse and dry it after each time.

Unlike neti pots, you don’t introduce the water from a CPAP directly into your nose and near your sinuses. If your mask has a humidifier, the water stays in a separate chamber, adding moisture to the air you breathe from the tube. Though there’s no physical contact between the water in the humidifier and the area up and around your sinuses, Schaffner advises taking the same precautions as one would with a neti pot. Read the instructions, wash your hands first, and rinse, clean, and dry your mask and the water chamber immediately after use to avoid standing water. For extra protection, use distilled or sterile water, or boil your tap water.

“At least to the moment there seem to be no reported cases of this infection with any other devices, which is always reassuring,” says Schaffner, but taking proper precaution will make it even more unlikely that you’ll experience this unlikely complication.

fair use from:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/cold-and-f...worry.aspx

[SuperSleeper]

Who brews up a batch of netipot solution and lets it sit around? You mix the salt and water in a little pot and then flush it through your nose, empty the pot and clean it.

[SuperSleeper]

Apparently enough people that my ENT surgeon warned me to not mix up a big batch of the saline solution ahead of time.