Maryam Shakeel, a 36-year-old woman from Karachi, has fallen victim to a rare and deadly infection succumbing to naegleria who has been lurking in the city’s water supply. Maryam died despite medical efforts and highlighted the concern about the presence of the brain-eating amoeba in the city’s water.

The deceased was admitted to the hospital on February 19 after experiencing severe fever symptoms. Her medical tests confirmed the presence of naegleria, a waterborne amoeba, on February 24th. Despite medical efforts, she died in the following days.

District Health Manager for East Karachi Dr. Zahid Solangi confirmed to the Express Pakinomist that the woman had tested positively for Naegleria, leading to her death. He explained that Amoeba thrives on clean water under extreme heat conditions, especially when temperatures exceed 35 ° C.

The deceased, identified as Maryam Shakeel, was a resident of the Gullhan-e-Iqbal. A report on her death has been sent to the Director General of Health and the authorities have been asked to ensure proper chlorination of water supply. Dr. Solangi emphasized that insufficient chlorine levels in water lead to the growth of naegleria and other harmful microorganisms.

He also said that the only way to prevent naegleria is to ensure that water tanks contain the required amount of chlorine. In particular, naegleria is an incurable disease. Amoeba enters the human brain through the nose and mouth, leading to deadly consequences.