Naegleria fowleri — a rare but deadly organism that can be killed by chlorine — has claimed another life in Karachi, Sindh Health Department sources said on Wednesday. According to details, 28-year-old man, a resident of DHA Phase IV and an engineer by profession, died at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). The hospital administration said that the victim was initially treated at a private hospital before being brought to the JPMC on Sunday morning with a history of headache, fever and mental confusion. He was on a ventilator after his condition further deteriorated. The total number of deaths in the port city due to Naegleria in the ongoing year has reached six. Chlorination is the key method to kill the germ and keep the life-taking disease at bay. Another way is to use boiled water while cleaning nose as the germ enters through the nasal cavity of its victim and attacks the brain.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP