Source: Twitter.
Amou Haji known as the ‘World’s Dirtiest Man’ had died aged 94, coincidentally a short time after taking his first bath in over 60 years.
The Iranian man had given up on cleanliness and bathing 67 years ago amid fears that being clean would be of detriment to his health. He also thought it would bring him bad luck.
For years, he dodged attempts from local residents to clean him up. Neighbours would often try to persuade Haji to have a shower or bath and eventually he gave in but soon after fell ill and died several months later.
According to local reports, the reason why Haji finally gave in and decided to have a shower was because he was lonely and it was hard to make friends.
He reportedly died on October 23 in a village called Dejgah in Iran’s south with his funeral having happened earlier this week.
Haji was of great interest to local doctors and researchers who were astounded by how relatively good his overall health was. Locals say that he survived off a diet of raw roadkill and drank dirty puddle water.
Photos also show him smoking several cigarettes at one time and it’s believed that he would often smoke pipes filled with animal manure.
Associate Professor of parasitology at the Tehran University of Medical Science School of Public Health Dr Gholamreza Molavi carried out several tests on Haji and said that he most likely built up a strong immune system to his dirty environment.
Dr Molavi said the only sign of sickness was trichinosis, a bacterial infection that comes from eating raw meat, however Haji had showed no symptoms.
Locals say that he was well educated, often speaking about politics and one recent visitor said that Haji had discussed with him the pros and cons of the French Revolution.
VIDEO: The 'world's dirtiest man' dies in Iran at 94
Amou Haji, an Iranian man nicknamed the 'dirtiest man in the world' for not taking a shower for decades has died, state media reported on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/KrcDilQy40
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 27, 2022
Haji also mentioned how life was made more difficult by the international publicity that surrounded him.
While he was respected and looked after by most of the people in his village, there would be times when people would taunt him.
On one occasion a group of people had forced him into a car, where they said they were going to take him to a shower but in his defiance, escaped the moving car.
The title of ‘World’s Dirtiest Man’ now potentially goes to an Indian man named Kailash Singh who is believed to have not washed in over 30 years.
