Kerala's deadly brain-eating amoeba outbreak claims 6th victim in a month

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A 49-year-old man from Malappuram has become the sixth person to die from amoebic meningoencephalitis in Kerala within a month, as the state grapples with a concerning cluster of the rare and devastating brain infection. The latest fatality, confirmed by health officials on Thursday, marks a significant public health challenge in the northern districts.

The victim, Shaji, a resident of Chelembra, had been undergoing treatment for over a week at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Kozhikode before succumbing to the infection early on September 11, as reported by The Hindu. The precise source of his infection remains unclear to authorities.

The situation remains active and critical, with nine patients currently receiving treatment for the disease at the Kozhikode MCH and another, who tested positive on September 10, being cared for at a private hospital in the city.

This spate of infections, which began in mid-August, has seen victims across age groups and districts. As reported by The Hindu, those who have died include Anaya from Thamarassery, a three-month-old infant from Omassery, Ratheesh from Wayanad and Shobhana from Wandoor in Malappuram.

In response to the outbreak, health authorities have initiated an extensive cleaning drive. The Deccan Herald reported that this includes the chlorination of wells and ponds across the northern districts, areas from which the frequent cases of the infection have been reported since July.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis is an exceptionally rare but almost always fatal brain infection caused by free-living amoebae found in contaminated freshwater sources like lakes, rivers and stagnant water.

The illness manifests in two primary forms. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is caused by Naegleria fowleri, which enters through the nose and directly attacks brain tissue. A second type, Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis (GAE), is associated with amoebae like Acanthamoeba and can enter through the skin or lungs before travelling to the brain.

Despite the grim toll, there are stories of medical success offering a glimmer of hope. On September 8, two children were discharged from the Kozhikode MCH after making a full recovery. Furthermore, in a landmark case reported by The Deccan Herald, the state health department successfully treated a 17-year-old boy whose brain was co-infected with both an amoeba and a fungus. Health Minister Veena George hailed this as the first global instance of a complete recovery from such a dual infection.

Addressing concerns over the high number of cases, Minister George attributed the figures to vigilant testing protocols. She stated that there was no need for alarm and explained that, as per state guidelines, every encephalitis case is tested for amoeba, which is why authorities have been able to detect them early. She emphasised that while naegleriasis typically has a mortality rate of around 98%, early detection and treatment in Kerala have reduced that figure to approximately 20%.

Authorities at the Kozhikode MCH have been procuring specialised medicines from abroad to treat the complex infection. However, doctors have cautioned that treatment is particularly complicated for patients with underlying health conditions.