A 23-year-old resident of Orangi Town has become the second confirmed casualty of Naegleria fowleri—commonly referred to as the brain-eating amoeba—in Karachi this year, health department officials reported on Wednesday.
According to authorities, the young man began exhibiting symptoms of the rare and deadly infection on May 28 and was receiving treatment at a private healthcare facility, where he later succumbed to the illness.
This latest fatality brings the Naegleria death toll in Karachi for 2025 to two, raising fresh public health concerns as the city moves deeper into the hot summer season.
Naegleria fowleri typically thrives in warm freshwater sources and improperly chlorinated water storage tanks. It infects individuals when contaminated water enters the nasal passages, allowing the amoeba to travel to the brain, where it causes a severe and often fatal condition known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
Health experts have strongly urged the public to exercise extra caution, especially during the summer months. Citizens are advised to regularly chlorinate domestic water tanks and avoid water entering the nose during swimming, bathing, or performing ablution.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation and emphasize the importance of preventive hygiene practices to curb further infections.
