Naegleria claims another life in Karachi, toll rises to five
At least 21 water samples collected by the team have zero percent chlorine
KARACHI (Dunya News) – A 25-year-old suffering from Naegleria on Tuesday has died taking the toll of the lives lost to the disease to at least five.
Sufyan was under treatment in the Civil Hospital after doctors diagnosed him with brain-eating amoeba. Reportedly, in most of the areas of the city the water lacks the required amount of chlorine. The death toll due to the disease has reached to at least five in the ongoing year.
The six-member committee formed for the purpose continues to collect water samples from different areas. According to the report issued by the team, as many as 38 more samples have been collected from the city. At least 21 samples have zero percent chlorine while mere 17 samples have sufficient amount.
The committee has collected a total of 84 samples from different areas of the metropolitan.
According to the researchers, Naegleria has a fatality rate of more than 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be passed person-to-person.
The amoeba travels from the nasal membranes to the brain. Symptoms are initially very mild, including a headache, stiff neck, fever and stomach pain. Death usually occurs five to seven days after infection.
The disease first surfaced in Karachi, a city of 18 million people, in 2006.
