Alarming: Fourth Case Of Brain Eating Amoeba Reported In Kerala After Third Death (Image/@creepydotorg)
Two days after the third death from the rare amoebic meningoencephalitis was reported from the state, another 14-year-old boy from Kerala’s Kozhikode has been hospitalised due to the infection. The latest diagnosis marks the fourth case since it was first reported in May. Notably, all three individuals infected before died while under treatment.
The alarming rise of the deadly infection caused by a free-living amoeba commonly found in contaminated waters has now begun to threaten public health, especially during the monsoon, which exposes children and adults to ponds, rivers, and other contaminated water sources.
Read Also: Five-Year-Old Girl Dies By Amoeba, A Rare Infection Connected To Bathing In Contaminated Water
The 14-year-old from Pallikara in Thikkodi was admitted to the hospital on July 1 after showing odd symptoms. The boy, like all the previous cases, had taken a bath in a pond named Kizhur Kattumkulam a few days ago, potentially becoming vulnerable to the amoeba. However, he was later diagnosed with a threatening amoeba. The condition of the patient is reported to be satisfactory as he is responding to medicines, Onmanorama reported, citing the doctor.
According to the doctor, the infection was identified quickly at the hospital, and treatment and medication were provided at the earliest.
Within the last two months, three children—12-year-old Mridul from Feroke, 13-year-old Dakshina from Kannur, and five-year-old Fadwa from Malappuram’s Munniyoor—succumbed to the infection, raising concerns about the fatalities of the deadly disease. All of them were diagnosed with the brain-eating amoeba after taking baths in ponds or rivers.
Read Also: Third Death: Deadly Brain-Eating Amoeba Claims Another Life In Kozhikode
Following the surging cases, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a meeting held on Friday, instructed people not to take baths in unclean waterbodies while suggesting the chlorination of swimming pools.
Amoebic meningoencephalitis is caused by a free-living amoeba, which is commonly found in polluted water. The tiny organism can enter the body through the nose and then travel to the brain, inflicting damage to the brain cells within a short period of time.
