KARACHI: Naegleria fowleri, also calls brain-eating amoeba, claimed the lives of two more persons in Karachi, some media houses reported on Friday, however, the government has not confirmed the deaths.
According to the reports, Hussain Afzal, 59, a resident of Kemari, and Ali Guhar, 38, a resident of Banaras, both died of brain-eating amoeba at different private hospitals in Karachi.
A total of four people died of the infection so far in Karachi. However, Director Health Karachi Dr. Hamid Jumani was not aware of the deaths, but he confirmed two new naegleria cases in a statement on Thursday.
According to medical professionals, Naegleria fowleri is a brain-eating amoeba that enters through the nasal cavity and begins eating brain tissue.
The amoeba can endure temperatures as high as 46 degrees and prefers warm water. The most common points are bodies of fresh water like ponds, lakes, swimming pools, as well as overhead and underground tanks. Inability to smell, meningitis, neck stiffness, irritability, and vomiting are among the disease’s signs and symptoms. The symptoms show within 24 hours and can cause death in seven days.
