KARACHI: The provincial health department in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province this week reported another death from Naegleria fowleri, making it the fourth casualty of the disease from the province this year. 

Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba, has a fatality rate of over 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be spread from person to person.

The latest victim of the disease was a resident of Karachi’s central district area, who started experiencing symptoms such as fever, body aches and vomiting on June 25. Syed Ali Raza Shah, 17, was hospitalized at the Agha Khan University Hospital on June 26 and on June 27, was shifted to ventilator support after his condition deteriorated. 

“On 28th June 2025: At around 12:00:PM patient expired in medical ICU on the ventilator at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi,” the Sindh Health Department’s report said on Saturday. 

The report said Shah did not have a history of swimming nor performing ablution before the illness. However, the patient had taken a bath before his illness. 

The report pointed out that an overhead tank was the source of water in the deceased’s house, which had not been cleaned in the past six months. It said response activities will be conducted in the deceased’s area of residence after his funeral. 

“Report submitted to higher authorities for planning and awareness sessions will be conducted on 29th and 30th June in the affected area,” the report said. 

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Naegleria fowleri lives in soil and warm freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs around the world. In very rare cases, it has been found in poorly maintained swimming pools, splash pads, and other recreational venues. 

If water containing the ameba goes up the nose and to the brain, it can cause an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

In most cases in Pakistan, infections have occurred when people use tap water that contains Naegleria fowleri to rinse their sinuses or cleanse their nasal passages.

Pakistan has witnessed a rise in Naegleria fowleri cases in recent years, with more than 100 reported deaths since the first confirmed infection in 2008. Five fatalities were recorded in 2024 alone.