Kerala Records 5th Case Of Brain-Eating Amoeba In 2 Months: All About Rare Amoebic Meningitis

A Class 7 boy was found to have contracted a less severe strain of the brain-eating amoeba, identified as Vermamoeba Vermiformis, after his cerebrospinal fluid was tested in Puducherry.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis, often referred to as a brain-eating amoeba infection, typically occurs through exposure to contaminated water.

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A 12-year-old boy from Padoor, Thrissur, has been diagnosed with amoebic meningitis, marking the fifth case in Kerala within the past two months. The young patient, who is in Class 7, has shown significant health improvements despite the initial severity of his condition.

According to the Thrissur District Medical Officer, the boy was on ventilator support in June but is now stable and under ongoing treatment at a hospital in Kochi. The boy contracted a less severe strain of the brain-eating amoeba, identified as Vermamoeba Vermiformis, after his cerebrospinal fluid was tested in Puducherry, according to a report on Manorama.

The boy first sought medical help for fever at a primary health centre on June 1. As his condition worsened, he was transferred to a private medical college in Thrissur and then to the Government Medical College Hospital. Despite extensive investigations, the source of the infection remains unknown, as the boy had not been swimming in any natural water bodies.

Kerala has reported five cases of amoebic meningitis over the last two months. Last Friday, a 14-year-old boy in Kozhikode was diagnosed with the infection and is currently receiving treatment. Unfortunately, three other children who were infected earlier did not survive, as reported by Deccan Herald. A five-year-old girl from Malappuram succumbed on May 21, a 13-year-old girl from Kannur on June 25, and a 12-year-old boy from Kozhikode on July 4.

What is Amoebic Meningoencephalitis?

Amoebic meningoencephalitis, often referred to as a brain-eating amoeba infection, is caused by amoebae such as Naegleria fowleri and Acanthamoeba species. The infection typically occurs through exposure to contaminated water. Symptoms, which include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, and hallucinations, usually begin within 1-9 days of exposure. The disease progresses rapidly and can be fatal within 1-12 days after symptoms begin.

Health officials advise the public to exercise caution when swimming in warm freshwater bodies, especially during the summer. Using nose clips in swimming pools is recommended to prevent infection by free-living amoebae.

The disease had previously been reported in Kerala's coastal Alappuzha district in 2023 and 2017.