Beware of brain-eating amoeba

E-Paper | March 03, 2026

AT least eight people died in Karachi due to primary amoebic meningo-encephelitis (PAM) this year. This is a micro-organism which lives in bodies of warm fresh water like swimming pools, rivers, lakes and storage of water supply.

It is also found in soil, near warm water discharges of industrial plants, and unchlorinated swimming pools in an amoeboid or temporary flagellate stage.

It is a heat-resistant organism and survives even at 46 degrees of temperature. It is observed in the months of July, August and September.

The disease starts with fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. It progresses in three to seven days and affects the brain. A patient develops a symptom of confusion, hallucinations and fits. The mortality rate is 98 per cent because the drugs available are not so effective. Amphotericin B is used which is not completely effective and, therefore, a combination of drugs play a little role if administered in time.

Naegleria enters the nose of a person while swimming, diving, taking a bath in the river and the lake. It causes necrosis of nasal mucosa and reaches brain by climbing along nerves through the cribriform plate via the floor of cranium and starts affecting the brain.

The organism begins to consume cells of the brain piecemeal by means of a unique sucking apparatus extended from its cell surface. Hence called as ‘brain eating amoeba’.

This infection is diagnosed by the examination of cerebrospinal fluid on microscope by staining and culture. Culture takes time and, hence the delay in diagnosis: the fast method nowadays to diagnose this disease is PCR test.

How to prevent it? The answer is to avoid the entry of water into nose while swimming, taking a bath and cleaning the nose. If unavoidable, then do not clean it by forceful sucking of water into the nose.

Water in swimming pools, water- supply storage tanks, water parks at entertainment places should be thoroughly chlorinated and this is not a difficult job. The government should act on time before hundreds and thousands die.

DR MURLIDHAR Karachi

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Ali

Jul 31, 2012 09:37am

"The government should act on time before hundreds and thousands die." Hundreds and thousands? Based on eight cases of a non-contagious amoeba infection? I appreciate the information but isn't that a little alarmist? Also, it would have been good to have an article about this in layman's terms. And if you're lifting entire sentences from Wikipedia, the right thing to do is quote your source. In this case it would be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegleria_fowleri

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AHK

Jul 31, 2012 09:23am

decision to set up a committee will be made in the meeting to be held next week

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Cyrus Howell

Jul 31, 2012 05:51am

"The government should act on time before hundreds and thousands die." It is one of the government's top priorities. They are having a meeting about it next week.

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Adeel

Jul 31, 2012 05:59am

Or rather setting up a committee

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U M

Jul 31, 2012 09:27am

"Rehman Malik has directed police force, special branch, and all agencies to work in close coordination to locate Amoebas and shoot-at-sight"

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asfi

Jul 31, 2012 06:49pm

Molana Diesel who is presently the Chairman of kashmir committee feels himself feels jobless. I think he should be given the job to find some way out.

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Razzaq

Jul 31, 2012 07:14pm

And if this is not successfull,he will ask Interpol to issue a Red Warrant.

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Anon

Aug 10, 2012 07:36am

plus a ban on pillion riding in karachi till this bacteria leaves karachi and goes someplace else...

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