Brain-eating amoeba sounds alarm bells in Sindh province
Stay tuned with 24 News HD Android App
Sindh Health Department has issued an appeal to the public to take preventive measures against Naegleria as it claimed another life in Karachi on Monday, reported the 24NewsHD TV channel.
A waterborne parasite commonly known as "brain-eating amoeba" has killed ten people in Sindh so far.
The latest victim of the amoeba — Naegleria fowleri is a 22-year-old student Muhammad Arsal Baig, a resident of North Karachi District Central who was admitted to a private hospital on October 27. His private lab test report confirmed he was Naegleria positive.
The Town Surveillance Coordinator has been informed to obtain water samples from the area on the family's mystery.
The amount of chlorine must be added to the water as per the instructions suggested by the health experts.
The Sindh health department has issued an advisory to stem the spread of deadly disease and put on high alert the medics and authorities concerned to cope with the challenge.
Symptoms
According to experts, Naegleria – better known as brain-eating amoeba – is found in moist soil, freshwater bodies (like lakes, ponds, and rivers), poorly-chlorinated swimming pools, and water-supplying pipes.
As soon as it got into the human body, it destroys brain tissues, causing severe meningoencephalitis within one to nine days, they said, adding that its symptoms are nausea, headache, high fever, body aches, drowsiness, and fainting, and then the patient goes into a coma. Its death rate is cited as more than 97 per cent.
Preventative measures
Personal actions to reduce its risk are to focus on preventing water from going up the nose.
People should always drink boiled water and abstain from washing their faces with polluted water.
People are requested to put chlorine in underground water tanks [one tablet in 1,000 gallons of water] and stay away from swimming in non-chlorinated pools.
Water tanks at homes, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, and offices should be cleaned twice a year and patients must be hospitalised at the earliest as the death rate is more than 97 per cent.