Pakistan, which recorded an outbreak of the “brain-eating” amoeba, Naegleria fowleri in 2012, which killed 10 people, has recorded it’s first case and fatality in 2014 in a man from Karachi, according to a Dawn.com report Wednesday.
The report says the 39-year-old man health officials in Karachi say the victim had no history of swimming, and they suspected the victim had been afflicted with the deadly amoeba while performing ablution, or nasal rinsing.
The death has prompted the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to reactivate its Naegleria fowleri monitoring cell on Thursday to combat the pressing threat posed by Naegleria fowleri. In addition, a subcommittee was formed with the mandate to survey swimming pools and water parks to check if they were properly chlorinated.
The practice of ablution is included in Yogic, Ayurvedic, and Islamic traditions. Within the Islamic faith, ritual nasal rinsing is included in a cleansing process called “wudu” or “ablution.” It is usually performed several times a day in preparation for prayer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page.
