World’s Dirtiest Man refused to wash for 60 years

1He died days after being forced to have a bath

He went almost seven decades without washing until his community organized a bath, which is said to have caused a sharp decline in his health.

He died shortly after washing up for the first time in nearly seven decades in a case that’s been studied by parasitologists. He refused to shower or bathe for the vast majority of his life and lived a life full of unhealthy habits, but miraculously lived longer than most do in his country.

Amou Haji reportedly lived a relatively normal life until his early adult years in Fars province, Iran. Then, after going through what he called a number of emotional setbacks and heartbreak, he was left mentally scarred and turned to a hermit lifestyle.
He retreated to a hole he dug outside the village of Dezh Gah and was welcomed by his neighbors, who tried to offer him food, shelter, and cleaning supplies – which he refused.

According to local media, Amou haji – a nickname meaning “old timer” in Farsi – feared that soap and water would make him sick or bring him bad luck, and disliked the attention his condition brought him, famously noting that people’s attempts to “care” for him or change his lifestyle made him deeply sad.