Pakistani health officials confirmed this week that they have launched an emergency investigation into a "brain-eating" water borne amoeba that has been linked to ten deaths in four months.
The amoeba causes amoebic meningitis and may be acquired through water used in ritual ablutions performed before Muslim prayer services.
Karachi health minister Saghir Ahmed says that they are currently gathering information but citizens should avoid taking in water through the nose.
"There is no reason to panic and citizens should stay calm and take precautions," Ahmed said in an official statement. "It is a water-borne infection and we are thoroughly inquiring about its arrival and spread here."
There have been previous cases of the meningitis in the past but never in concentrated numbers. The World Health Organisation is also aiding in the investigation and Pakistani rep Musa Khan says they are "visiting houses of the victims and profiling their history."
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.