Naegleria case reported in Lahore

LAHORE: A suspected case of Naegleria has been reported in the provincial capital on Monday. The patient is currently admitted in Services Hospital (SHL). According to information, a 30-year-old male patient was admitted in Services Hospital with various symptoms including headache and fever.

The patient, who had given samples at a private diagnostic laboratory, received the report suggesting a suspected case of Naegleria. Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba, usually found in water ponds, that causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a disease of the central nervous system.

A number of Naegleria cases have been reported in Karachi in the past. The Medical Superintendent of SHL Dr Ihtisham-ul-Haq said that the patient’s history is being ascertained to know about the origin of Naegleria case. “A team of expert doctors has been assigned for the treatment of the Naegleria patient as well as to ascertain reasons and adopt ways to prevent its further spread,” he added.

Meanwhile, the medical experts have warned the public to refrain from swimming in pools that have not been properly chlorinated.