Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills Ten Victims in Pakistan [VIDEO]

Ten people have died in Karachi, Pakistan due to a brain-eating amoeba, Reuters reported.

A World Health official said on Tuesday to Reuters that the brain eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri was to blame, which kills people by destroying brain tissue. Reuters reported that it has a fatality rate of 98 percent. People can get it from contaminated water that enters through the nose, but it can't be transmitted from person to person.

The BBC reported that the source of the amoeba is not known but it is believed that those that have caught the deadly parasite did so when they were rinsing their nasal passages with water.

Dr. Shakeel Mallick of the provincial health department said to the BBC that nine of the 10 victims were men and one was a four-year-old child.

The city is now starting to add more chlorine to the water, the BBC reports.

The amoeba can be transmitted after swimming in contaminated lakes or pools but only one of the victims got the amoeba in that way. Now, officials are trying to find the source of the contaminated water, the BBC reports.

Symptoms of the deadly parasite include nausea, vomiting, fever and a stiff headache and neck. According to the BBC most of the people affected by the parasite die within one week.

Musa Khan of the World Health Authority said to the BBC, "People should avoid getting water too deep into their nostrils," Mr Khan said. "Those with symptoms should seek help immediately."

The parasite was first seen in Karachi in 2006. This year has been the most recent outbreak since then Reuters reported.

Web Md said about the parasite that it loves "warm temperatures and are able to survive in water as hot as 113 degrees Fahrenheit."

It also said that Naegleria fowleri can be found in the following places: