KARACHI: 44-year-old man has died from a Naegleria fowleri infection in Karachi, marking the city’s third confirmed death linked to the brain-eating amoeba this year, health officials said Tuesday.
The man, a resident of Karachi’s Korangi area, was admitted to a private hospital with a high fever. After his condition worsened, he was moved to the intensive care unit, where he later died despite treatment.
Doctors confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri through laboratory testing.
According to health department records, this is the third confirmed case of the year. The first infection was reported in February in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, followed by a second case in Orangi Town.
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba that thrives in warm, untreated freshwater. It typically enters the body through the nose, travels to the brain and causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare but almost always fatal infection.
Health experts urged residents to ensure underground and overhead water storage tanks are properly chlorinated, saying adequate chlorine levels can prevent the organism from multiplying.
More read, First molecular genotyping of deadly Naegleria fowleri done at ICCBS
They also advised people to avoid allowing untreated water to enter the nose while bathing, swimming or performing ablution, and to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, nausea or vomiting develop.
