Karachi [Pakistan], March 11: Karachi has reported its first death from Naegleria fowleri in 2025, as a 36-year-old woman succumbed to the infection last month, according to health officials, as reported by The Dawn.
The woman, a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, passed away on February 23 at a private hospital in Karachi. She began showing symptoms of the infection on February 18 and was admitted to the hospital the following day. Her condition worsened, and the presence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed after her death on February 24, the Dawn cited.
According to the Dawn, the woman did not engage in any water-related activities, a common risk factor for the disease. The only possible exposure was her routine use of water for ablution (wuzu) at home, which she performed five times a day.
This marks the first fatality from Naegleria fowleri in Karachi this year, highlighting the risks posed by the amoeba even in the absence of recreational water activities.
Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as the "brain-eating amoeba," causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a condition that is fatal in nearly 98 per cent of cases. The amoeba thrives in warm, fresh water such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs, and infects individuals when water containing the organism enters the body through the nose, the Dawn reported.
Once inside, the amoeba travels to the brain, where it destroys tissue and leads to rapid neurological decline.
Symptoms of PAM include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting, followed by stiff neck, confusion, seizures, and hallucinations, progressing to coma and death within days.
The Dawn reported that the initial symptoms of PAM typically appear around five days after infection and may include headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting.
As the disease progresses, additional symptoms can develop, such as a stiff neck, confusion, disorientation, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. Once symptoms begin, the condition advances quickly, often leading to death within five days.
The amoeba cannot survive in cool, chlorinated, or clean water, which reduces the risk of infection in such environments.
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