Naegleria claims another life in Karachi, toll rises to five

The Sindh Health Department confirmed on Saturday that another resident of Karachi has died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the brain-eating amoeba, bringing the city’s 2025 death toll from the infection to five.

According to officials, the latest victim was a 29-year-old man from Karachi’s district central. Symptoms first appeared on September 7, and he was admitted to a private hospital on Thursday after his condition worsened. He later succumbed to the infection.

The department noted that the patient had not participated in any recreational water-related activities, with his only exposure being routine use of tap water for drinking and bathing.

This marks the fifth Naegleria-related death in Karachi this year.

Earlier cases include a 17-year-old boy from North Karachi, who died in late June, and a 36-year-old woman from Gulshan-e-Iqbal, who became the first reported fatality in March.

In 2024, Pakistan reported five deaths linked to Naegleria — four in Karachi and one in Hyderabad.

Health experts explain that the amoeba, which thrives in warm and untreated water, typically enters the body through the nose while bathing, swimming, or performing ablution. Once it reaches the brain, it causes a fatal infection of the nervous system.

Doctors stress that proper chlorination of water supplies is the only effective prevention. They advise residents to regularly clean underground and overhead water tanks, especially before the summer season, and to use chlorine tablets or boil water for safe use.