Is it true? Is there really such a thing as a “Brain Eating Amoeba” and should we be concerned? Well it is real and it can happen, but thankfully it is very rare. There have been 40 deaths due to this amoeba in the last 10 years. It is found most often in the south in fresh water such as rivers, ponds and lakes. There have been a few cases via nasal irrigation using tap water and one that even occurred from a water slide in the back yard. It is usually seen when water that contains the amoeba goes up the nose forcefully such as jumping in the water or being drug behind a boat.