MULTAN   -  Naegleria Fowleri, also known as Brain-eating amoeba can enter only through one passage to one’s brain that is nose and people who do ablution five times a day for offering prayers should take special care to refrain from deadly species to save their lives.

In a video message on Sunday ex-Principal Nishtar Medical College, Dr Iftikhar Hussain  Khan advised the people not to suck water up-to soft bone of nose during ablution as the amoeba penetrates to brian via clribriform plate, a portion of ethmoid bone located at base of the skull.

He informed that once it enters the brain, it starts eating it adding that severe headache, vomiting, flu and restlessness are mainly  its symptoms. This free living microorganism primarily feeds on bacteria but can turn pathogenic in humans causing an extremely rare, sudden and usually fatal brain infection known as naegleriasis, Dr Iftikhar informed.

The known thoracic surgeon explained that the first patient with amoeba was diagnosed in 2008 first time in Pakistan and as many as 150 had died of it so far and added that 148 of them had a history of ablution while only two had swimming history as this is found in fresh and hot   water sources including water tanks, ponds, lakes and  swimming pools etc.

He disclosed that as many as 157 cases of brain eating amoeba which is the highest number in the world  were registered in USA since 1968 to date and only four of them could survive while in our country none of the patients could.

In July last year,  Punjab’s first case of brain eating amoeba was reported from Lahore, the medic said adding that 30 year old Mustafa Shafiq was admitted at Services Hospital Lahore on July 3 last  where he was tested positive with Naegleria and on the following day, he died.

Now no other city of Punjab can be termed safe from the Amoeba and may be it exists in neighbouring countries too, Dr Iftikhar maintained.

Naegleria is too small to be seen by naked eye and it can  only be examined through microscope,he noted and added that the water affected by it does have any specific taste.

Just like Dengue it is a seasonal disease which starts from May and ends by September,  Dr Iftikhar said and recommended that people who are swimming lovers should go to only those pools where are hygienic and use nasal clip while swimming.

He suggested mixing of Chlorine in water tanks used domestically and in mosque as part of precautionary measure to avoid the Amoeba.