For the first time in Pakistan, the Jamilur Rahman Center for Genome Research, University of Karachi, in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, has performed genotyping of the dangerous human brain-eating amoeba “Naegleria fowleri”.
Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Head of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) of Karachi University and Coordinator of COMSTEC, in an interaction with foreign experts at the International Center for the University of Karachi, said that Dr. Jamilur Rahman’s Genome Research Center Muhammad Aurangzeb and Biochemistry Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Assistant Professor of the department has carried out this research work.
Samples for research were obtained from the spinal cord and tap of a 28-year-old patient with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.
He said that Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic free-living amoeba found in warm and fresh water and soil. Naegleria prefers to live in water heated to 44 ° C while dying in salty or chlorinated water.
He said that this dangerous amoeba actually causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis disease and Karachi is the worst affected in Pakistan because of the prolonged hot weather.
Pro. Iqbal Chaudhary said that this research has also been published in Research General by Genotyping. He said that 40 water samples were taken from 18 different cities of Karachi to check for Naegleria, which showed that the drinking water supply was either very little or not at all in about 71.79 percent of areas.
He said that 28.21 percent of water supply lines have residual chlorine but this is less than the recommended amount of the World Health Organization.
Naegleria was found in water samples taken from Manora, North Karachi, New Karachi, Gulshan-e Hadid, Malir, Qaidabad, Korangi, Kemari, Sohrab Goth, Lyari, and Golimar, he said.
The mortality rate in patients suffering from this disease is 98 percent. Experts say that citizens should take precautionary measures as Pakistan is the second most affected country in the world.