Naegleria dead toll rises to six

KARACHI: Naegleria fowleri, brain-eating amoeba, claimed yet another life in Karachi, taking the death toll to six this year so far, confirmed the Sindh health department.

Talking to PPI, In-charge Focal Group for Naegleria Control Committee, Sindh, Dr Syed Zafar Mehdi, said a 30-year-old man, Shafqat Shehryar, a resident of Steel Town died in a private hospital of Karachi last night.

He was brought to the hospital few days in critical condition, where he died during treatment.

The Naegleria fowleri, which is found in freshwater, has claimed six lives in Karachi this year so far. Four victims were male and two females.

The Naegleria fowleri is a brain-eating amoeba that enters through a person’s nose and starts consuming brain tissue. The amoeba loves warm water and can survive in high temperatures. The freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, swimming pools, as well as underground and overhead tanks are the most common points.

Sindh health department has constituted a six-member focal group to formulate a strategy for control of Naegleria fowleri. The committee members were collecting water samples from Karachi to check chlorine level. It was said that water being supplied to North Karachi, Gulshan e Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Sohrab Goth, Orangi Town and its suburban areas are not properly chlorinated.

CONGO ALERT:

The health department has issued a Congo alert in Karachi before Eid-ul-Azha. The provincial health department has decided to set up medical camps in all minor and major cattle markets of Karachi, including Super Highway Cattle Market.

According to Dr Tahir Aziz, director of health, Karachi, all the district health officers, and veterinary doctors will examine cattle in the market. Also, instructions have been given to cattle owners and slaughter men to take precautionary measures.

The Karachi health director has also instructed visitors to take precautionary measures, especially with kids in order to avoid suffering. According to Dr Tariq Aziz, Congo virus transmits to humans from a particular animal. Congo virus has claimed lives of five people in the past year.