KARACHI: Health department officials on Monday confirmed another death from the fatal brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri — a single-celled organism commonly referred to as “brain-eating amoeba”.

With this case, the total cases of Naegleria reported in the city since May this year stands at five.

Nineteen-year-old Rana Sharjeel was a college student and resident of Mujahid Colony, Dalmia.

Sources said Sharjeel along with his friends had visited a farmhouse on June 27 in Malir and had been swimming there.  Within two days of his visit, he developed high-grade fever along with vomiting and body aches for which he sought advice from a general practitioner in the locality.

The patient, sources said, developed severe headache and irritability a few days later and fell unconscious after which his family took him to a nearby hospital from where he was referred to the PNS Shifa Hospital.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2021