A 94-year-old Iranian man, dubbed the world’s dirtiest, claimed he hadn’t washed in 67 years over fear of “getting sick.” That’s not the worst part–what he ate will shock you. After getting his first bath in 6 decades, he died 3 weeks later. Was he right all along?
Did the way the world’s dirtiest man lived make him resilient?
A 94-year-old Iranian man, Amou Haji, claimed he did not wash for 67 years. Despite being covered in dirt and soot, Haji believed that washing would bring him bad luck and make him sick.
In fact, one might even be able to argue that his way of life and exposure to germs might have helped him develop a more robust immune system.
For example, besides an aversion to what most people would consider cleanliness, Haji also wasn’t fond of fresh food or drinks. When it came to hydration, he would often collect water from nearby puddles, something animals do without hesitation. Haji would drink the water from a rusty oil can, drinking up to five liters of water a day, the Daily Mail reported.
In a documentary about his eccentric life, The Mirror reported, it said that Haji spent most of his life in Dejgah village in the province of Fars in southern Iran. He also apparently had no wife and no family.
Haji said he chose to become dirty after suffering emotional problems as a young man, thereafter living a lonely life.
Due to these eccentricities, Haji also shunned the eating of fresh food, choosing instead to eat roadkill. One of his favorites was rotten porcupine.
Another pleasure Haji enjoyed was smoking. But not tobacco. He smoked animal feces from an old pipe. However, photos from 2018 showed him smoking multiple cigarettes at once.
Doctors find his way of life strengthened his immune system
Earlier this year, a team of doctors from the Tehran School of Public Health, reportedly ran a series of tests on Haji, including tests for HIV and hepatitis. The physicians were astonished to find he did not suffer from any bacteria or parasites.
They did find he had Trichinosis, a bacteria that comes from eating raw meat. But surprisingly, he did not suffer from any symptoms. The doctors concluded he had developed a strong immune system after decades of living in harsh conditions and was able to remain healthy.
World’s dirtiest man dies three weeks after getting bath
The Iranian state news agency IRNA confirmed that Amou Haji passed away on Sunday in the village of Dejgah in the south of the country.
Apparently, the villagers were fed up with seeing Haji in his dirty state. They managed to convince him to take a shower. The villagers took him to a bathroom to wash, but that’s when things took a turn for the worse.
Three weeks after getting a bath, he fell ill. Not long after, he died, IRNA reported.
