Naegleria: Karachi reports third brain-eating amoeba death of 2026

Naegleria claimed another life in Karachi after health officials confirmed that a 44-year-old man died from a Naegleria fowleri infection, marking the city’s third confirmed death linked to the brain-eating amoeba this year.

The man, a resident of Karachi’s Korangi area, was admitted to a private hospital with a high fever. Doctors later transferred him to the intensive care unit after his condition deteriorated. Despite treatment, he died, and laboratory tests confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri.

According to the health department, Karachi recorded its first confirmed Naegleria infection of the year in February in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. A second case followed in Orangi Town, while the latest fatality has raised the city’s total to three in 2026.

Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba that thrives in warm, untreated freshwater. It enters the body through the nose, travels to the brain and causes Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare but almost always fatal brain infection.

Health experts urged residents to properly chlorinate underground and overhead water storage tanks, saying adequate chlorine levels help prevent the amoeba from multiplying. They also advised people to avoid allowing untreated water to enter the nose while bathing, swimming or performing ablution.

Furthermore, doctors urged the public to seek immediate medical care if they develop symptoms such as high fever, a severe headache, nausea or vomiting, as early diagnosis and treatment remain critical.