11 lives claimed by Naegleria fowleri in Sindh in 2023

As many as 11 people died due to Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by Naegleria fowleri, two due to Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), while two deaths were reported due to Malaria in Sindh in 2023, as stated by the Sindh health department on Saturday.

No death was reported due to dengue hemorrhagic fever in Sindh in 2023, compared to 64 deaths in the province in 2022. The department added that only two deaths were reported due to Malaria in the current year. Sharing data on vector-borne diseases in Sindh, an official of the Sindh health department mentioned that 2,852 cases of dengue fever were reported from the entire Sindh during 2023. Fortunately, not a single death was reported due to the vector-borne infectious disease, contrasting with the 64 deaths in 2022 when 23,274 deaths were reported.

In 2023, Malaria claimed only two lives, with 559,515 Malaria cases reported, compared to 24 deaths and 23,274 cases in 2022, the official added. As many as 11 people died due to the PAM caused by Naegleria fowleri or brain-eating bug, while one person survived in 2023, the health department official said. Last year in 2022, 7 people died due to the PMA caused by Naegleria fowleri, and one person survived.

On the other hand, the CCHF claimed two lives in 2023 when 5 persons were found infected with the tick-borne disease, compared to 7 deaths in 2022 when eight people contracted the infectious disease.