One More Death from Amoebic Encephalitis in Kerala; Six Fatalities in a Month

Kozhikode: Another death due to amoebic encephalitis has been reported in Kerala. Shaji (51), a resident of Chelembra, Malappuram, succumbed to the infection after undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital for two weeks. The source of Shaji’s infection has not yet been identified. Currently, 10 individuals are receiving treatment for amoebic encephalitis at the same hospital.

This marks the sixth death from amoebic encephalitis in Kerala within the past month. Shobhana (56), a native of Vandoor, Malappuram, died from the disease last Monday, preceding Shaji’s passing.

The other victims who have died from amoebic encephalitis in Kerala over the last month include Ratheesh from Bathery, Wayanad; a three-month-old infant of a couple from Omassery, Kozhikode; Ramla from Kanamangalam, Malappuram; and Anaya, a nine-year-old from Thamarassery, Kozhikode.

Amoebic encephalitis is a rare infection that primarily affects individuals who swim or bathe in stagnant water. The disease is caused when amoeba species such as Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba, Sappinia, and Balamuthia mandrillaris infect the brain. The amoeba typically enters the brain through minute perforations in the thin membrane separating the nose and brain, or via perforations in the eardrum, leading to meningoencephalitis. This particular infection carries an alarmingly high mortality rate, exceeding 97 percent.

Crucially, the disease is not transmissible from person to person. Infection occurs when amoeba present in the mud at the bottom of stagnant water becomes agitated, mixes with the water, and subsequently enters the body through the nose. If infected, symptoms usually manifest within one to nine days. Common symptoms include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, difficulty in neck movement, sensitivity to light, reluctance to feed in infants, general inactivity, and other abnormal reactions.