Kerala On Alert After Rare ‘Brain-Eating Amoeba’ Claims Life Of 9-Year-Old, Two Others Critical
Kozhikode, Kerala: Kerala’s health department has issued an alert in Kozhikode district after three consecutive cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare and often fatal brain infection, were reported this week.
One of the victims, a nine-year-old girl from Thamarassery, died on August 14, while two others, including a three-month-old infant, are battling for their lives.
PAM is caused by Naegleria fowleri, popularly known as the “brain-eating amoeba.” The organism lives in warm freshwater and soil and infects humans when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. Once inside, it travels to the brain, leading to a severe infection that is almost always fatal.
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The nine-year-old girl was admitted to a hospital with a fever on August 13 and shifted to Kozhikode Medical College the following day as her condition worsened. Despite urgent care, she died the same evening. Laboratory tests later confirmed amoebic encephalitis as the cause of death.
Health officials are now tracing the source of the infection, believed to be a local pond or freshwater body. “Once the water body is identified, we will also monitor others who may have bathed there recently,” a senior district health official said.
This year, Kerala has already recorded eight confirmed PAM cases and two deaths, making it a matter of growing concern for health authorities. Kozhikode alone has now reported at least four cases of the deadly infection in 2025, as per the reports.
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Doctors warn that while the infection is extremely rare, its progression is rapid, and survival chances are low. Symptoms include sudden fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and seizures.
The health department has urged the public to avoid swimming or bathing in stagnant freshwater ponds and to take precautions while using untreated water sources.
