Panic has gripped people in a southern Indian state after five people died of a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba in less than a month.
A 56-year-old woman from Kerala's Malappuram district was the latest person to die of amoebic meningoencephalitis in the state, prompting health authorities to take effective measures.
The woman, identified as Shobhana, was diagnosed with the rare infection on 6 September and was undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. The patient died on Monday, just two days after another person died of the disease.
A three-month-old child, a nine-year-old girl, and a 52-year-old woman were the three other patients who died of the infection while receiving treatment at a health facility in Kozihkode since mid-August. At least 11 other patients, including children, are under observation at the government hospital in Kozhikode.
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is caused by Naegleria fowleri, a free-living organism commonly known as the “brain-eating amoeba”, which is found in warm freshwater such as lakes, ponds, rivers, along with contaminated soil.
It enters the body through the nasal cavity and destroys brain tissue. Symptoms appear within days and lead quickly to seizures, coma and death. Although uncommon, the condition carries a high mortality risk, according to reports.
The initial symptoms of the disease are severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, which quickly escalate to stiff neck, sensitivity to light, loss of balance, seizures and eventually coma and death.
Globally, amoebic meningoencephalitis shows a fatality rate of almost 97 per cent. India reported its first case in 1971, but infections remained rare until Kerala witnessed a sharp rise in recent years. The coastal state recorded only eight cases from 2016 to 2022, but confirmed 36 infections and nine deaths in 2023.
Kerala reported its first death of PAM infection in 2024 in a five-year-old girl.
Every known case in India until last year had been fatal. In July 2024, a 14-year-old boy from Kozhikode became the first patient in the South Asian country to survive the infection, joining just 10 other known survivors worldwide.
Kerala’s government has introduced special treatment protocols and operating procedures for suspected cases. Authorities in some parts of the state banned locals from venturing into ponds and lakes.
Kerala health minister Veena George said the administration was in control of the situation and steps were being undertaken to identify patients suffering from the infection early on and begin treatment. “The usual mortality rate among Amoebic Meningoencephalitis patients in developed nations is above 95 per cent. But our rate is much lower,” she told India Today.
TS Anish, nodal officer at the Kerala One Health Centre for Nipah Research and Resilience in Kozhikode, says climate change is a major factor behind the recent rise in amoebic encephalitis cases in Kerala.
"Because of the rise in atmospheric temperature, microorganisms such as amoeba Naegleria fowleri that thrive in high-temperature environments have got a prominence in the environment in the past decade or so," he told The Hindu.
"Species such as Naegleria fowleri mainly feed on bacteria and algae. The contamination caused by coliform bacteria, commonly found in faecal matter, is high in our water sources such as wells, ponds, and rivers," he added.
The Indian state that now has a lower infant mortality rate than US
India court sentences trader to death for 3-year-old’s rape and murder
Indian doctor faces investigation for performing 21 emergency C-sections in 10 hours
Trump calls on EU to impose 100% tariffs on India and China to stop Ukraine war
India exploring ways to host sanctioned Taliban leader despite UN ban
Trump insists he and Modi will ‘always be friends’ despite trade war
