Naegleria in Karachi Taking Lives- Reports 2 Deaths in a Row l How can we fight this virus?

According to reports, the deadly naegleria in Karachi has already taken two lives in the Keamari area creating fear among Karachities.

The dead ones are men aged 59 and 38 years, their death took place in different hospitals in the city.

Naegleria is a deadly amoeba founded in Karachi after cholera and taking lives for many years. It is based on piped and non-chlorinated waters and getting it in Karachi is not a big deal because not everyone knows the importance of clean water and neither does the government care for us. In fact, after the death of this innocent none of the committees were founded in order to prevent its future peak from spreading.

History of Naegleria in Karachi:

The first case of PAM was reported in 2008, and up until October 2019, 146 cases had been reported from Karachi.

In only a decade, the number of PAM cases in Pakistan exceeded those reported in the USA in half a century (ie, 142 cases between 1968 and 2019).

The highest number of PAM cases in the USA were reported in children younger than 14 years, but in Pakistan, most cases are reported in adults aged 26–45 years, which points to the possibility of a genetically unique strain in Pakistan.

What is Naegleria Fowleri:

Naegleria is an amoeba founded in 1965 and it is normally called Brain-Eating amoeba because when it gets through a person it directly starts getting your brain damaged and worthless. There are many species of Naegleria but only one species has been discovered that causes a disease in humans and that is the Naegleria Fowleri.

The virus lives in warm fresh water and contaminated waters too and reaches easily the brain through any water activity and ablution that is done by the Muslims for religious purposes to pray. It gets through your nose and causes a disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). You can get it when the Naegleria commonly called brain-eating amoeba travels up your brain through your nose with contaminated water.

First Symptoms of Naegleria:

These are the symptoms that you might have after being infected with PAM disease:

• headache
• fever
• stiff neck
• loss of appetite
• vomiting
• altered mental state
• seizers
• coma

There may also be hallucinations, drooping eyelids, loss of sensation of taste, and blurred vision too.

Treatment for Naegleria Fowleri:

There is not an exact treatment has been discovered but there are several drugs used with a combination that is effective for the Brain-Eating Amoeba, the disease can also be fatal and two cases have been reported in which the patients get recovered from the antibiotics after being infected to the Naegleria Fowleri.

Few drugs involve Amphotericin B, Miltefosine other antifungal drugs and antibiotics

Diagnosis:

The infection can be diagnosed through the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Other ways to diagnose it are through CT SCAN and MRI.

How can we prevent Naegleria:

Since you have read the blog you know that this brain-eating amoeba loves to live in warm fresh and contaminated water so it is better to chlorinate your water properly whether it is stored or piped water, it must not be contaminated. The water should be clean and without any microorganisms in it even if you are using that water to drink and to take a bath or ablution whatever the uses of that water are.

Because if that brain-eating bacteria is present in your waters it can find a way to reach your brain whether it is through drinking or bathing. Make sure to boil your water first before drinking and if you have any doubt about that you should get it tested in the laboratory.