- Five individuals have died in Kerala, India, due to a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), within the last month.
- The fatalities include a 56-year-old woman, a three-month-old child, and a nine-year-old girl, leading health authorities to implement urgent measures.
- Caused by Naegleria fowleri, found in warm freshwater, the infection has a near 97 per cent global fatality rate, with symptoms rapidly progressing to coma and death.
- Kerala has seen a significant rise in cases, with 36 infections and nine deaths in 2023, prompting the government to introduce special treatment protocols and restrict access to certain water bodies.
- Climate change, causing increased water temperatures and contamination of water sources, are identified as key factors contributing to the surge in amoebic encephalitis cases.
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