WORLD
Pakistan records first Brain-Eating Amoeba death of 2025
Islamabad, Hilal Ahmad, March 10, AZERTAC
The South Asian country Pakistan recorded its first death of year 2025 from brain-eating amoeba as a 36 year old woman died from the disease last month in the coastal city of Karachi, health officials confirmed on Monday.
According to reports, the deceased woman was admitted to a local hospital on February 19 after experiencing symptoms and died four days later. As per health experts, Naegleria Fowleri infection has a fatality rate of more than 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose.
Pakistan has seen a rise in Naegleria Fowleri cases in recent years. Symptoms of infection include severe headache, altered taste, high fever, light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting. Death usually occurs five to seven days after infection. The first symptoms of the PAM usually start about five days after infection. After symptoms start, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death.
The spokesperson of Sindh provincial Health Department Meeran Yousuf said that the presence of Naegleria Fowleri was confirmed in the patient on February 24, after her death. He said this was the first death by infection in Pakistan in 2025. He said that after experiencing symptoms, the patient was admitted to a private hospital in the country's largest city Karachi.
A free-living amoeba, Naegleria, is commonly found in warm fresh water. Only its one species, Naegleria fowleri, infects people. Popularly known as “brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria Fowleri is responsible for the disease called Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). The amoeba travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissues and causes the PAM.
