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Pakistan: 22-year-old man dies in Karachi after being infected by brain-eating amoeba

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 14 Jul 2024

Pakistan: 22-year-old man dies in Karachi after being infected by brain-eating amoeba

Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

A 22-year-old man died of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in Karachi city of Pakistan, media reports said.

PAM is a disease of the central nervous system caused by Naegleria fowleri. It is popularly known as ‘brain-eating’ amoeba.

The deceased person was identified as  Aurangzeb.

He was undergoing treatment at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

The youth reportedly went to a farmhouse in  Quaidabad on July 7 for a picnic with friends.

During the picnic, he swam in the swimming pool.

Aurangzeb started showing symptoms on July 8, including fever, headache, and nausea. He was admitted to the hospital on July 10, and the virus was confirmed on July 11, ARY News reported.

He was the third victim of the deadly disease in the Pakistani city this year.

Last year, at least 10 people died of Naegleria fowleri that’s responsible for the disease called Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), ARY News.

98 percent of cases turn fatal.

A free-living amoeba, Naegleria, is commonly found in warm fresh water (such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs) and soil. Only its one species, Naegleria fowleri, infects people, ARY News reported.