Naegleria Fowleri virus has taken lives of three more people during the last 24 hours in Karachi taking the death toll to seven, according to Sindh health department sources.
Muazzam, 30, resident of Fisheries area of the mega city, died of this deadly disease. Asif, 33, of Hub Choki, also lost his life to this killer disease.
In view of the growing menace posed by the rampant virus in Karachi, the health department earlier formed a six-member committee to devise a strategy and hash out preventive measures against the disease.
The process of getting water samples by the committee from various areas is still underway whereas 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 per cent chlorine while mere 17 samples have sufficient amount. Overall, 84 samples have been collected, 54 of which have zero amount of chlorine.
According to the research, Naegleria has more than 98 per cent fatality rate. It is transmitted to brain when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. The amoeba travels from the nasal membrane to the brain. Its initial diagnosis is quite difficult as its symptoms are very mild headache, stiff neck, fever and stomach pain. The disease speedily takes life of the patient approximately five to seven days after the infection. The disease first appeared in Karachi in 2006.