KARACHI: The Sindh health ministry has dispatched directives to all district authorities to make sure that fumigation is duly carried out and rainwater is not left standing on roads in their respective limits to safeguard people from possible dangers of Naegleria fowleri (commonly known as ‘brain-eating amoeba’) and mosquito-borne diseases of dengue and chikungunya.

Worried by the increasing incidence of dengue fever, and three deaths recently reported due to Naegleria fowleri, the provincial health ministry had lately warned the local authorities to expedite their efforts to thwart the possible dangers of ‘brain-eating’ amoeba as water supplied to most parts of the city contained less or no chlorine at all.

Officials said widespread rains had been predicted during the ongoing monsoon, which could provide breeding grounds to lethal ‘brain-eating’ amoeba and the mosquito-borne dengue and chikungunya diseases.

The provincial government, it is learnt, has agreed to release special funds and resources to help efficient functioning of a committee, formed two years ago to check the dangers of Naegleria.

The committee has long been dormant for want of funds and guidelines from senior authorities.

The officials in the ministry said most neighbourhoods of the city were still being supplied with water that was not chlorinated at all.

Chlorination is the key method to kill the germ. Another way is to use boiled water while cleaning nose as the germ enters the body through the nasal cavity of its victim and attacks the brain.

“We have some 300 dengue victims in Sindh already, and if proper measures are not taken the number could rise alarmingly,” said an official.

The last official survey of the city’s water supply showed that more than half of the city was supplied with water that was chlorinated much less than the desired levels.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2017