First Naegleria death of 2025 reported in Karachi

WEB DESK: The deadly brain-eating amoeba has taken the life of a 36-year-old woman in Karachi, marking the first death from Naegleria fowleri this year. With a fatality rate of more than 98 percent, it is transmitted through contaminated water when it comes in contact through nose. It is, however, not transmissible from one person to another.

According to Arab News Pakistan, the deceased was admitted to the hospital on February 19, after experiencing the symptoms. A resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, she passed away within four days on February 24.

More than a 100 people have died since the deadly Naegleria fowleri emerged in 2008, while five people died from the infection last year.

First Naegleria death of 2024 reported in Karachi

The symptoms of the infection range from severe headache, high fever, change in taste, sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting, with patient succumbing to the infection within five to seven days.

Sindh Health Department spokesperson Meeran Yousuf stated that the presence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in the patient on Feb. 24, 2025 after the patient had passed away: “Upon investigation, it was noted that the patient had not participated in any water-related activities and her only exposure was regular use of water to perform wuzu or ablution at home.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that it was the first death this year.

According to a 2021 study conducted by the Sindh Health Department, around 95 percent of water samples in Karachi were unfit for human consumption. The contamination is a leading contributor to the spread of deadly amoeba.