According to health officials on Monday, a 36-year-old woman passed away with Naegleria fowleri last month, marking Karachi’s first death from the illness
Meeran Yousuf, the Sindh Health Minister’s media coordinator, said the woman, who lived in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, passed away on February 23 at a private hospital in Karachi.
The patient was admitted to the hospital a day after exhibiting symptoms on February 18. On February 24, one day after the patient’s death, the existence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in the patient, he stated.
The patient had not engaged in any water-related activities, according to the results of the investigation. Her sole exposure was the five times a day she regularly used water at home for ablution (wuzu).
Yousuf stated, “This is the first death from Naegleria fowleri in 2025.”
Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as “brain-eating amoeba,” is the causative agent of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). In 98% of cases, the infection is lethal.
Naegleria is a free-living amoeba that is frequently found in soil and warm fresh water, including lakes, rivers, and hot springs. Naegleria fowleri is the only species that infects humans.
When amoeba-containing water enters the body through the nose, it infects humans. This usually occurs when people submerge their heads in freshwater, such as lakes and rivers, or when they go swimming or diving.
The amoeba then makes its way up the nose to the brain, where it causes PAM by destroying brain tissues.
The PAM’s initial symptoms, which can include fever, headache, nausea, or vomiting, typically appear five days after infection. Seizures, hallucinations, coma, stiff neck, disorientation, and inattention to people and surroundings are some of the later symptoms.
The illness advances quickly after symptoms appear and typically results in death within five days. The germ cannot thrive in clean, cold water that has been chlorinated.
