Naegleria fowleri biologically belongs to kingdom Protista, also known as the brain-eating amoeba. is commonly found as an amoeba or as a free flagellum in warm lakes, hot springs as well as in fresh water reservoirs such as rivers, ponds and unchlorinated swimming pools. Since Naegleria fowleri is a heat tolerant (thermophilic) protist, it thrives during summer when temperatures are high. The organism gains access to the human brain through the nostrils while washing face, swimming or performing ritual ablution and even while drinking water. It then pierces the cribriform plate to enter central nervous system where it causes granulomatous inflammation leading to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Here’s when Unilever Pureit comes into play.

How does it affect you?

Karachi being a subtropical region, predominantly has a warm climate which provides a favorable ecological niche for this organism to occupy. The first case of Naegleria fowleri was reported in Pakistan in 2008. Since then maximum number of reported cases have been from Karachi and its ever increasing occurrence rate over the years is making it particularly worrisome

Ablution is an integral and indispensable religious rite or ritual performed by Muslims, before praying. It includes nasal irrigation with water. Most patients in Karachi acquired this disease while performing ‘wuzu’ (nasal irrigation) with tap water, contaminated with the amoeba. This seems to be the most significant route of transmission. Global warming, which has raised the temperatures of water has also contributed to the increase in the number of cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. You can also use water from Pureit Intella to perform ablution.

How does safe water and chlorination solve this problem?

This precarious organism is found to be associated with poorly chlorinated water; chlorination is the only trusted defense mechanism that the country can count on to protect against the brain-eating amoeba. According to the World Health Organization, for effective chlorine disinfection there should be a residual concentration of free chlorine equal or greater than 0.5 mg/L, after at least 30 minutes contact time (at 20°C) at pH less than 8.0. This level should be maintained throughout the distribution system. Pureit intella destroys these germs and you don’t have to worry about Naegleria Fowleria.

The significance and enormity of this amoebic infection can be explained in terms of its alarming mortality rate. Pakistan is a Muslim country, where the majority of the people practice nasal irrigation as part of ablution and necessary measures for the proper sanitation and chlorination of water are not taken. It is likely that cases of Naegleria fowleri infections will continue to peak. Public awareness regarding this disease, along with proper treatment of water, either by chlorination or boiling, should be carried out to ensure that the risk of infection declines, else cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis will continue to rise in Pakistan.

Environmental toxins and chemicals have made our apparently safe tap water extremely dangerous. This is why thousands of people all across the globe our using Unilever Pureit Intella and Unilever Pureit.