On Thursday, the ‘brain-eating amoeba’ Naegleria fowleri took the life of a young man in Karachi. Salman Ahmed, a 21-year-old DHA resident, was brought to a private hospital on June 18 after being ill with a fever. Despite getting ventilator support, his health deteriorated and he died on July 6.
This most recent death brings the overall number of Naegleria-related deaths to six. Four of these incidents occurred in Karachi, with one each in Quetta and Hyderabad.
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Ahmed’s case was investigated and it was discovered that he had bathed in the swimming pool of a private academy in DHA. Pool samples revealed low chlorine levels, prompting further investigation.
The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board has been chastised by health experts for having insufficient chlorine levels in the city’s water supply. They are also concerned about crumbling sewage lines, which endanger water quality and safety. To ensure effective water disinfection, citizens are encouraged to clean their underground tanks and apply chlorine tablets.
