Brain-Eating Amoeba Panics Kerala: 18 Deaths, 68 Cases; New Case Emerges In Pattambi
Palakkad, Kerala: A new case of amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and fatal brain infection, has been reported in Pattambi in Kerala’s Palakkad district, two days after a 17-year-old boy in Thiruvananthapuram contracted the infection.
Sparking panic among people, the brain-eating amoeba is spreading across the state, with the latest case in a 27-year-old man. He had reportedly taken a bath in a pond in the area two months ago. After showing symptoms such as fever, headache among others, the man was admitted to a private hospital in Palakkad and then shifted to Kozhikode government medical college. The patient is currently receiving treatment from the medical college.
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On Monday, a boy from the state capital got infected with the disease after taking a bath from a swimming pool at Akkulam Tourist Village along with his friends.
As per government data, this year alone, Kerala has recorded 67 cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis, with 18 fatalities. Kerala Health Minister Veena George recently called for the urgent need to take strict preventive measures to combat amoebic meningoencephalitis, advising the public to be vigilant about water safety and sanitation.
Read Also: Kerala On Alert After Rare ‘Brain-Eating Amoeba’ Claims Life Of 9-Year-Old, Two Others Critical
The minister stressed the need to create a strong defense against the brain-eating disease, while urging people to ensure they do not wash their faces or take baths in stagnant or polluted water, including water bodies where cattle are bathed. She also pointed out that the wells should be scientifically chlorinated, and swimming pools at water theme parks must also be properly chlorinated, with documents regarding maintenance kept safely.
The brain-eating amoeba gets infected by entering the human brain through the nose while involved with polluted water, and therefore, ensuring water is safe and that the water does not enter the nose is key to preventing the infection.
