Brain-eating amoeba kills fourth person in Pakistan’s Sindh province

Dubai: A teenager has died in the Sindh province of Pakistan as a result of a brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri. The death of the 17-year-old patient is the fourth linked to Naegleria this year.

Although the situation is not unique to Pakistan, as the summer season intensifies, awareness and prevention surrounding this disease is crucial.

Here’s what you need to know about the brain infection caused by Naegleria.

Naegleria has been a persistent issue that has been plaguing residents across the nation.

The amoeba is most commonly found in stagnant and warm bodies of water, such as in lakes or swimming pools. However, Pakistan’s worsening infrastructure has greatly exacerbated the problem. Faulty water lines and pipes often allow for Naegleria and other bacteria to enter the water stream of residences. Adding to that, lack of proper water treatment, such as sufficient amounts of chlorine, also aggravate the issue. As a result, even simple activities such as bathing or ablution puts the public at risk for contracting Naegleria.

The amoeba primarily enters through the nose, making its way up to the brain. The scientific name of the brain infection that then occurs is primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), sometimes also referred to as Naegleriasis.

Most common symptoms of Naegleria includes extreme headaches, fever, nausea, and a stiff neck. Patients whose conditions are worsening may also experience confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and typically may also fall into a coma.

Notably, as these symptoms are similar to other diseases, patients aren’t often easily able to distinguish Naegleria and receive adequate care. On occasion when patients are tested for Naegleria, this often includes a spinal tap to test a patient’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for amoeba.

Naegleria is a particularly fatal disease, with a death rate up to 99% for those infected. The window of time for treatment is also extremely short, as the average timespan for the death of an infected patient is around seven days.

In fact, the recent 17-year-old patient was first hospitalised in Karachi’s Aga Khan University Hospital on June 26, before his health quickly deteriorated and he died on June 28, according to the Sindh Health Department. Their reports also highlighted an uncleaned water tank in the patient’s residence as the plausible clause, as the patient had no recent history of other risky activities such as swimming.

One of the easiest ways to reduce risk of contact with Naegleria is to avoid stagnant water bodies, especially during the summer when water temperatures tend to be at their highest. If you must swim, nose clips are recommended.

At home, avoid tap water for use in the nasal passages and opt for distilled or sterilised water instead. For instance, boiling water and setting it aside for this purpose is one simple and common method.