BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Health is urging residents not to use tap water in nasal irrigation devices or for cleaning contact lenses following a series of rare but serious amoeba infections reported in the state.

According to LDH, 10 cases of Acanthamoeba infection have been identified in Louisiana since 2024. Eight involved eye infections, seven occurred in contact lens wearers and five resulted in permanent vision loss.

Health officials also identified two serious infections in 2026 among patients with weakened immune systems. One involved the sinuses and the other involved the brain and proved fatal. Both patients reported using tap water in nasal irrigation devices. Officials stressed that tap water has not been confirmed as the source of the infections.

LDH recommends using distilled, sterile or previously boiled and cooled water in neti pots and other nasal-rinsing devices. Contact lens users are also advised never to clean or store lenses in tap water