The Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County, US, said that a patient has been infected with a rare "brain-eating" amoeba. His condition has not been shared with the public.

According to US officials, the person came into contact with Naegleria fowleri as a result of sinus rinse practices for which tap water was used.

In rare cases, the amoeba can cause an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Officials recommend that neti pot owners fill the devices with water that has been boiled for a minute and then been allowed to cool, or distilled or sterile water.

Health officials in Charlotte County, Florida, suspect a neti pot -- a popular means of rinsing mucous from nasal cavities -- may be the cause of a potentially fatal case of brain-eating amoeba. Health officials say a man used tap water in his neti pot and then rinsed out his sinuses with it. Neti pot manufacturers warn users not to do this since tap water may contain dangerous impurities. Instead, they recommend that neti pot owners fill the devices with water that has been boiled for a minute and then been allowed to cool, or distilled or sterile water. Cases of people contracting the brain eating amoeba are very rare and usually happen in contaminated lakes where water gets up people's noses. Health officials note that the amoeba cannot be contracted by drinking tap water.