Naegleria claims another life in Karachi

• Kashif Qamar resident of Buffer Zone died of Naegleria.
• Patient was admitted in private hospital Nazimabad No 1.
• The number of deaths due to Naegleria has reached to 11.

KARACHI: Naegleria fowleri, colloquially known as the brain-eating amoeba claimed life of 45-year old Kashif Qamar in District Central area of Karachi.

According to the Sindh Health Department, a resident of Buffer Zone in Central district of Karachi died of Naegleria fowleri.

The health department said that the 45-year-old patient Kashif Qamar was admitted to a private hospital on November 1, making this the third death reported in District Central from Naegleria.

According to the spokesperson of the Sindh Health Department, the number of deaths due to Naegleria in Karachi this year has reached 11.

Naegleria fowleri is found all over in moist soil, fresh water bodies (lakes, ponds, and rivers), poorly chlorinated swimming pools and water supplying pipes. When water contaminated with naeglaria is sucked through the nose during bathing, rinsing the nose and ablution, it invades olfactory nuero epithelium and rapidly destroys brain tissue, which causes severe meningo encephalitis within 1-9 days after acquiring the ameba.

It is fatal in 95% cases despite timely treatment. The initial symptoms of the disease are head ache, body ache, high grade fever, drowsiness, fainting and the patient then goes into coma.

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Medical experts also said that household tanks should be cleaned at least twice a year, chlorine tablets should be used, and water should be boiled at 100 degrees Celsius for drinking and ablution to kill Naegleria.