Kerala on high alert as fifth patient succumbs to rare brain-eating amoeba

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A fifth person has died within a month in Kerala from a rare and devastating brain infection, amoebic meningoencephalitis, marking an alarming cluster of cases that has prompted urgent health warnings.

The latest victim, a 56-year-old woman named Shobhana from Vandoor in Malappuram district, died while undergoing critical treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

Her death on Thursday came just two days after another patient, 45-year-old Ratheesh from Sulthan Bathery, succumbed to the same infection at the same facility. According to a report by India Today, health officials noted that Ratheesh had also been suffering from pre-existing cardiac complications.

These two recent fatalities bring the total number of deaths from the infection to five since the beginning of August. Health officials confirmed that a further 11 patients exhibiting symptoms of the disease are currently being treated and monitored at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

The infection, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is caused by Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba typically found in warm, contaminated freshwater.

The state’s Health Department has issued special guidelines to doctors regarding treatment protocols. Officials emphasise that the infection is not transmitted from person to person but is instead contracted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. This most commonly occurs during activities such as swimming, diving, or bathing in infected water bodies.

The situation is being treated with extreme seriousness by health authorities. A total of 42 cases of the infection have been recorded in the state this year alone, a significant number for a condition that is typically extremely rare. This high figure underscores the urgent need for public awareness and precautionary measures.

The disease progresses rapidly, causing severe brain swelling and is fatal in the vast majority of cases. Health advisories are urging the public to avoid swimming in freshwater lakes and stagnant ponds, particularly during the warm summer months when water levels are low and temperatures are higher, conditions in which the amoeba thrives.

The guidelines also recommend that individuals ensure their water supply is clean and chlorinated and to avoid allowing water to enter the nasal passages during bathing or ritual purification practices.