Daily Times

The Sindh Health Department confirmed on Monday that the ‘brain-eating’ amoeba, called Naegleria Fowleri, claimed its second victim in Karachi.

“This is the second life claimed by naegleria this year in Karachi,” confirmed Dr Zafar Mehdi, the focal person for naegleria-related deaths in Sindh.

The recent victim of the deadly disease was Sana, sixteen-year-old girl from North Nazimabad. Dr Mehdi said that Sana was admitted to a hospital with the symptoms of high-grade fever, vomiting and nausea. She was shifted to a private hospital in Karachi on June 30.

Naegleria fowleri, claimed the first life of the year in Karachi as a 40-year old person died due to the infection last month.

Naegleria or the brain eating amoeba infection is caused by the amoeba found in untreated municipal water, untreated well water, untreated swimming pools and spas as well as in warm lakes and mud puddles.

Pools of stagnant water accumulating on roads and poor sanitation in congested areas increase the risk of the infection as the amoeba thrives in warm and polluted water.

Dr Zafar Mehdi stressed on the immediate adaptation of required measures for naegleria prevention and control.

“The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) should come forward and start chlorinating water supplied to the residents of Karachi. It is the only way to protect them from naegleria since the cure for naegleria is unavailable,” said Dr Mehdi.

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

He said that urgent measures were needed for proper chlorination of water supplied to the residents of Karachi.

“Attention should also be directed towards adequate treatment of water that is used for bathing, face washing, swimming” added Dr Mehdi.

“Water that can in any manner enter into nostrils of a person has to be treated before use,” said Dr Zafar Mehdi.

Published in Daily Times, June 5th 2018.