If your summer plans include swimming in freshwater lakes or hot springs, experts advise exercising caution. In addition, never use tap when irrigating nasal passages.

 A 71-year-old Texas woman died after contracting a brain-eating amoeba infection after using tap water to rinse out her sinuses. She experienced fever, headache and mental confusion, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), passing away eight days after her symptoms began.

Her condition, called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is a rare, often fatal infection caused by a free-living amoeba called Naegleria fowleri. Using tap water for nasal irrigation is a risk factor for PAM. It’s also found in freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs. Officials found the amoeba in the woman’s cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

According to USA Today, the CDC warns that contaminated water containing the amoeba could travel up the nose to the brain and cause PAM. Although fewer than 10 people get the infection annually, it’s 100% fatal.

Officials offer the following recommendations to stay safe:

• Always use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water for nasal irrigation. Avoid using tap water unless it has been boiled for at least one minute and cooled.

• Ensure that all nasal irrigation devices, such as neti pots, are cleaned thoroughly after each use to prevent contamination.

• Avoid swimming or diving in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs, especially during periods of high-water temperatures or low water levels, as these are conditions where Naegleria fowleri may thrive.

• If engaging in water activities in these environments, use nose clips or keep your head above water to minimize the risk of water entering your nasal passages.

• Be aware of local health advisories warning about the presence of Naegleria fowleri in certain bodies of water before swimming.