Brain-eating amoeba kills one in Karachi

Third reported death in Sindh caused by the 'brain-eating amoeba'

KARACHI:

The brain-eating amoeba, naegleria fowleri, claimed the life of a 19-year-old man in Karachi on Monday, reported health authorities. 

Zahir Shah was brought to the hospital on May 27 with complaints of fever, headache and vomiting. The patient, working as a labourer in the port city, died the next day during the treatment, said health authorities.

The deadly amoeba can easily be killed by chlorine. Health department officials, therefore, have requested the provincial government to immediately add chlorine to the city's water supply.

“The best cure to this is prevention and creating awareness regarding how to eliminate this amoeba from the water supply,” the health department’s spokesperson said.

Read PMA calls for prevention against naegleria

All citizens were advised to add chlorine tablets to the water tanks that supply water to their homes which are used for washing and bathing.

The symptoms of the disease are high-grade fever, vomiting, headache and altered consciousness.

In Sindh for the current year, there have been three deaths due to the naegleria fowleri. The first was a 32-year-old woman from Qayyumabad, Korangi Road. The second person was a man aged 45 years from Abdullahbad Surjani Town of district West. The third case was Zahid who belonged to Saddar town.

In 2021, seven deaths and in 2022, eight deaths were reported in the city.