Neti Pot Can Transmit Brain-Eating Amoebas
Disinfect the pot thoroughly between uses, and always use distilled or boiled water!
I'll be honest with you, even before this story broke, there was no way on this green Earth I was ever going to use a neti pot. Actually I shouldn't say that, because I never like to say "never." So let's just say that "it would take a lot" for me to use a neti pot. Like a gun to my head, or a life-threatening illness that can literally only be cured by pouring warm water into one nostril and letting it run out the other nostril.
The brain-eating amoeba is an interesting creature known as Naeglaria fowleri, which kills several people every year. The typical N. fowleri infection comes from warm, stagnant lake water, which is why it is a particular hazard in the Southern U.S. during the late summer and early fall.
