17-Year-Old Succumbs to Brain-Eating Amoeba in Sindh
A 17-year-old student in Sindh became the fourth victim of Naegleria fowleri this year. The teenager developed symptoms suddenly and tested positive for the deadly infection. Lack of proper water filtration and chlorination is cited as a major cause of the infection.
The provincial health department in Sindh reported the fourth death from Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba. A 17-year-old student developed fever, body aches, and vomiting on June 25. He tested positive for the infection at Aga Khan University Hospital and was put on ventilator support. The patient had no swimming history and likely got infected from contaminated tap water.
Experts attribute the infection to the lack of water filtration and chlorination. Karachi's faulty water distribution system allows sewage seepage into domestic water supply, leading to harmful diseases. The city's first death from Naegleria fowleri this year was in March.
Naegleria fowleri causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) and is fatal in 98% of cases. It thrives in warm freshwater and soil but cannot survive in clean, chlorinated water. Infection occurs when water with the amoeba enters the body through the nose, commonly during swimming or diving.
The amoeba travels to the brain, destroying tissues and causing PAM symptoms like headache, fever, nausea, and stiff neck. The disease progresses rapidly, leading to death within days. Early symptoms include confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and coma.
According to the source: Dawn.
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