Naegleria Fowleri poses serious health threats

PMA advises people to properly chlorinate water in underground tanks before use

KARACHI:

The city recently witnessed three deaths attributed to naegleria fowleri, whereas there are concerns that the actual number of unreported cases might be higher.

Regrettably, a significant portion of our population does not have access to clean and safe water. As a result, people are compelled to consume contaminated water, leading to waterborne diseases such as Typhoid, Gastroenteritis, Hepatitis A and E, and Cholera.

The same contaminated water also carries the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, which enters the brain through the nostrils and causes damage.

The disease is commonly referred to as the ‘brain-eating amoeba’ as it damages the frontal lobe of the brain, resulting in meningoencephalitis. This condition is fatal in 95 per cent of cases, leading to the death of the affected individuals.

Naegleria fowleri can be found in moist soil, fresh water bodies including lakes, ponds, and rivers, poorly chlorinated swimming pools, and water supply pipes.

Water contaminated with Naegleria is inadvertently inhaled during bathing, rinsing the nose, or performing ablutions. It invades the olfactory neuroepithelium and rapidly destroys brain tissue, causing severe meningoencephalitis within ten days. Despite timely treatment, the disease proves fatal in 95 per cent of cases.

Initial symptoms include headaches, body aches, high fever, drowsiness, fainting, and eventual coma.

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) is concerned about the recent reports of Naegleria fowleri in Karachi’s municipal water supply, which is managed by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB).

The effectiveness of the filtration and chlorination processes for the city’s potable water is questionable.

Moreover, the faulty water distribution system allows sewage seepage into the domestic water supply, resulting in contamination and the spread of harmful diseases.

PMA suggests preventive measures to avoid this serious disease by always drinking boiled water, refrain from washing your face or bathing with polluted water, and avoid swimming in non-chlorinated pools.

When washing face, never insert your finger into your nostrils, as the amoeba can enter through this route, suggests PMA.

They also advised the government to ensure the supply of chlorinated water to citizens in order to prevent untoward situations.

Additionally, people are urged to add chlorine tablets [one tablet in 1,000 gallons of water] to their underground water tanks.

It is recommended that water tanks in homes, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, and offices be cleaned at least once a year. Lastly, the PMA requests all doctors, especially general practitioners and family physicians, to take symptoms of nausea, vomiting, headaches, and high fever seriously. Patients with these symptoms should be tested for Naegleria.

Individuals experiencing the aforementioned symptoms are also advised to seek immediate medical attention.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2023.