Woman tests positive for rare amoebic infection in Kerala

The doctors said that the patient might have contracted the infection while taking a bath in a canal near her house.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis is a rare but severe brain infection caused by amoeba File Photo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram has confirmed a case of amoebic meningoencephalitis in a 24-year-old woman from Navayikulam.

The doctors said that the patient might have contracted the infection while taking bath in a canal near her house.

So far, eight cases have been confirmed in Thiruvananthapuram. The disease resulted in one fatality on July 23, while the remaining patients are receiving treatment at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The disease has been reported from three locations — Nellimoodu, Peroorkada and Navayikulam — in the district.

This year, the state has confirmed 16 cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis, with two patients discharged from the hospital. In the past two months, eight cases, including those involving children, have been reported in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Thrissur.