KARACHI: Provincial health authorities on Wednesday confirmed the first case of Naegleria fowleri, also known as ‘brain-eating amoeba’, of the current year and the subsequent death caused by it in the city.

The officials said a girl in her teens was the latest victim of the brain-eating amoeba, the primary cause of amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in its victims.

The 18-year-old was admitted in a ‘critical’ condition to a private hospital last week and was put on the ventilator of an intensive care unit, where she died on Monday. The authorities confirmed the death on Wednesday.

Read: ‘Brain-eating amoeba’ claims another life in Karachi

The victim lived in an affluent neighbourhood of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, said the officials.

“The resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar was identified as Areeba, who died of Naegleria after enduring the deadly disease for a day in a private hospital,” said a senior official while speaking to Dawn.

The officials said the deadly disease killed 14 people last year.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2015

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