The World’s Dirtiest Man

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The World’s Dirtiest Man If you are a germophobe, consider the story of Amou Haji, a 94-year-old Iranian who held the title of “World’s Dirtiest Man”. For 67 years, Haji never set foot in a bathroom and avoided soap and water because he was worried it would make him sick.

Haji was so averse to bathing, he once jumped from a moving vehicle when concerned townsfolk tried to take him toa local river for a bath. Not only that, but Haji lived in absolute squalor. His residence was a run-down shack located on the outskirts of the city of Dejgah, Iran.

It was dusty, rusty, exposed to the elements, and crawling with wildlife. He survived on a diet of fresh roadkill, consisting mainly of uncooked (and tragically tenderised) porcupine, which he collected from the roadside.

Every day, Haji smoked animal dung from a pipe and sourced water from muddy puddles, which he drank out of an old oil can. Not only was Haji dirty on the outside, but much of this dirt also found its way inside him, too.

Science would have us believe this lack of personal hygiene, poor diet, and questionable lifestyle habits would weaken Haji’s immune system, making his body the perfect breeding ground for the deadly germs he would undoubtedly ingest and inhale.

This belief, however, was disproven after scientists ran a battery of tests on Haji several years before he died, Not only did the scientists fail to find any pathogens, but they discovered—much to everyone’s surprise—that he was in a decidedly good state of health.

Given these findings, it was a rather cruel and ironic twist when Haji died in late 2022, one month after local villagers forced him to take a shower.

Following Amou Haji’s death, the title of “World’s Dirtiest Man” was bestowed upon Kailash Singh, an Indian man from the city of Varanasi. Singh, now aged 77, has not showered for almost 50 years.