A rare ‘brain-eating’ amoebic infection is spreading in Kerala. Amoebic meningoencephalitis, which has a 97 percent fatality rate, has claimed four lives so far from the 15 cases reported in the state. What is more alarming is that the disease has spread from northern Kerala to Thiruvananthapuram in the south. The first death was of a five-year-old girl from Malappuram and the second one of a 13-year-old girl from Kannur; the latest is of a 28-year-old man in the state capital.
It is a rare but severe brain infection caused by an amoeba that lives in warm freshwater such as lakes and rivers. The amoebas can enter the central nervous system through the nose when people swim in infected water. Once they reach the brain, they cause inflammation and tissue destruction, which usually progress to death. However, the infection is not passed between humans. In the early stages, the disease shows typical meningitic symptoms such as fever, headache, stiff neck and nausea. Later symptoms include confusion, loss of balance and hallucinations. Death usually occurs between one and 18 days after the first symptoms. There is no specific treatment protocol for the disease because of its rarity; hence, the mortality rate is very high.
Bathing in stagnant water is a common hazard for several types of infection. This amoeba can also live in hot springs or warm water discharged from industrial plants, poorly-maintained swimming pools with minimal or no disinfection. The state government has issued health advisories urging residents to avoid swimming in freshwater bodies and to maintain strict personal hygiene. Additional resources are being provided to the health department to manage the crisis and hospitals are being equipped to handle the influx of patients.
What is more important is to run awareness campaigns to educate the public regarding the risks and preventive measures. It is also important to ensure that water parks and swimming pools are properly disinfected. In a state with plenty of public and private water bodies, it is quite common for people to take a dip. Hence, the need for intensified awareness programmes. It’s crucial for the public to follow safety guidelines because once contracted, the infection is almost impossible to beat.