A Doctor Says a Woman Died From a Brain-Eating Amoeba After Using a Neti Pot. Are They Safe?

A Seattle woman died earlier this year after becoming infected by the brain-eating amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris, Fox Q13 reports. And doctors believe her infection started in an unusual, and seemingly innocuous, way: using a neti pot filled with tap water. Terrifying as it may be, the Seattle woman's case is extremely rare. Worldwide, only about 200 cases of Balamuthia infection have been diagnosed since the amoeba was first discovered in 1986, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nonetheless, the incident may spook even devoted neti pot users. So are neti pots safe? TIME asked Dr. Ben Bleier, an associate professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear. What are neti pots used for? Neti pots, which resemble tiny te...

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