A ninth fatal case of the “brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria fowleri, has been reported in the Karachi area of Pakistan, according to a News Tribe report today.

Image/CIA
Image/CIA

The victim is a 32-year-old man, according to the report. Like most of the N. fowleri cases reported this year in Pakistan, it is not reported how the deadly parasite was contracted.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Naegleria fowleri is found around the world. In the United States, the majority of infections have been caused by Naegleria fowleri from freshwater located in southern-tier states. The amoeba can be found in bodies of warm freshwater, such as lakes and rivers, geothermal (naturally hot) water, such as hot springs, warm water discharge from industrial plants, geothermal (naturally hot) drinking water sources, swimming pools that are poorly maintained, minimally-chlorinated, and/or un-chlorinated, water heaters. Naegleria fowleri grows best at higher temperatures up to 115°F (46°C) and can survive for short periods at higher temperatures and soil

Naegleria fowleri is not found in salt water, like the ocean. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page