‘Brain-eating’ amoeba causes two deaths in a week in Karachi

Sindh Health Authorities have reported two deaths within a week from Naegleria Fowleri, also known as brain-eating amoeba, in Karachi. The death toll has reached 10 victims this year.

The latest victim is a 22-years-old student of North Karachi. Earlier in the week, a 45-year-old succumbed to the amoeba in the same locality. The two deaths have raised alarm bells both in the locality and the city.

The student fell ill with high fever, headache and vomitting. His condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to hospitalisation in ICU. He tested positive for Naegleria, dying within four days on October 29.

The symptoms of the two patients were similar but both had no history of swimming to suggest that they contracted the germs via nasal passage, as reported by the health department. The surveillance coordinator of the town has asked to collect samples from the area to detect the presence of the amoeba.
Health Services Karachi Director Dr Abdul Hamid Jumani has however stressed the importance of chlorination at different levels in the water supply system. Not just that, the seepage in the pipelines should be corrected at once to avoid contamination of water.

Water tanks at home need to be cleaned regularly and hygiene should be maintained. Experts suggest that water tanks should be cleaned once a year and a 20-gramme tablet is enough for a 100-gallon tank for 15 days.

The infection caused by Naeglaria Fowleri is fatal in 98 per cent of cases. Contaminated water is its natural habitat. The medical term used for the disease is Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis. Among the 100 cases reported in 11, years only two survived; one for three months and the other is alive till date.