In a rare incident, a 22-year-old man died of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) in Pakistan’s Karachi, taking the death toll this year to three, ARY News reported.
PAM is specifically a disease of the central nervous system caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly called the ‘brain-eating’ amoeba.
The victim has been identified as Aurangzeb. He was infected with the disease after a picnic with his friends at a farmhouse in Quaidabad on July 7, where the group also went for swimming. The next day, Aurangzeb started showing symptoms, including nausea and fever.
He was admitted to the hospital on July 10 and was confirmed with the virus on July 11. According to ARY News, Aurangzeb, a resident of Cattle Colony, was undergoing treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
The youth had gone for a picnic with friends at a farmhouse in Quaidabad on July 7, where they swam in the pool. Aurangzeb started showing symptoms like fever, headache and nausea on July 8. He was admitted to hospital on July 10 and tested positive for the virus on July 11.
According to ARY News, Aurangzeb, 22, was the third victim of the deadly infection in the city this year, with the other two cases being reported earlier in Korangi and Malir.
This infection has previously claimed lives in various parts of Pakistan. Last year, at least 10 people died of Naegleria fowleri. This infection has been found to be fatal in 98 percent of cases.
Naegleria, a free-living amoeba, is most often found in warm, freshwater (lakes, rivers, and hot springs) and soil.
Only one species, Naegleria fowleri, infects humans.
It infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose. This often happens when people swim, dive, or submerge their heads in fresh water, such as lakes and rivers. According to ARY News, the amoeba then travels through the nose to the brain, where it damages brain tissue and causes PAM.
After symptoms begin, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within five days. The germ cannot survive in cold, clean, and chlorinated water.
Early symptoms of PAM often appear about five days after infection and may include headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting. Later symptoms may include stiff neck, confusion, inattention to people and objects around, seizures, hallucinations, and coma.
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