Sindh's fifth naegleria-related death of 2017 reported in Karachi

KWSB should come forward to protect citizens from disease, says focal person for naegleria

KARACHI: Another life was claimed by naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba, in Karachi.

This is the fifth life claimed by naegleria this year in the province, out of which four cases were reported in Karachi and one in Tando Allahyar, confirmed Dr Zafar Mehdi, the focal person for naegleria-related deaths in Sindh.

The recent victim of the deadly disease was Abdullah Ahmed, a resident of Mujahid Colony, Dalmia. Dr Mehdi said that the victim was admitted to a hospital with symptoms of high-grade fever, vomiting and nausea. He was shifted to Aga Khan University Hospital on August 14. The patient died the following day on August 15.



The patient's cause of death was announced on Thursday after his blood samples came back positive for naegleria.

Dr Mehdi suggested that residents of small households clean their water tanks twice a year, especially in summer, to avert the threat of the disease.

"People can get chlorine tablets from town health officers' offices free-of-cost," he said and added that the water supplied to the residents of most of Karachi is not chlorinated.



He said that those who could not afford to put chlorine tablets in their water storage tanks can put two spoons of bleach powder in a jug of water and then mix that solution in water storage tanks at night and use that water after few a hours.

"The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) should come forward and start chlorinating water supplied to the residents of Karachi, as it is the only way to protect them from naegleria since there is no treatment available of this disease," said Dr Mehdi.