Kerala reports surge in amoebic brain fever cases: How dangerous is the disease?

Kerala is battling a rise in cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis, or amoebic brain fever, with seven incidents reported in the Thiruvananthapuram district itself. A man died of the rare disease in the capital caused by a brain-eating amoeba in July.

The southern state has witnessed multiple cases in the past few months. Besides Thiruvananthapuram, the infection was reported in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Thrissur.

Kerala has decided to carry out a scientific study to find out the reasons for the recent surge in cases.

What is amoebic meningoencephalitis? How dangerous is it? What is Kerala doing to arrest the increase in cases? Let’s take a closer look.

What is amoebic brain fever?

More from Explainers

How ChatGPT is becoming everyone’s BFF and why that’s dangerous This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare brain infection which causes inflammation of the brain.

Naegleria fowleri or “brain-eating amoeba” is behind this disease. This free-living amoeba or a single-celled living organism lives in warm freshwater and soil.

It can be found in lakes, rivers, swimming pools, splash pads, or other water-based recreational venues. People do not get infected from drinking water infested with the amoeba. It cannot be contracted from another person either.

The amoeba enters the body through the nose, usually while swimming, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It “travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue and causes swelling of the brain,” noted CDC.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

Ghaziabad woman dead, pilgrims attacked in bus… How Nepal’s Gen-Z protests turned into a living hell for Indian tourists

Were bodyguards involved in Charlie Kirk’s shooting? The many conspiracies surrounding the killing

The initial symptoms of PAM include headache, high fever, nausea and vomiting. These are usually seen about five days after infection.

Later, the patient could develop a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations. The infected person may also slip into a coma.

How dangerous is it?

Amoebic brain fever has a mortality rate of 97 per cent.

As per the CDC, “Most people with PAM die within one to 18 days after symptoms begin. It usually leads to coma and death after five days.”

Healthdirect Australia says that early diagnosis and treatment of the brain infection may increase the chance of survival. However, “most people who get PAM usually die.”

There are no standard treatments for the rare disease. Currently, doctors tackle it with a combination of drugs, including amphotericin B, rifampin, miltefosine, azithromycin, fluconazole and dexamethasone, reported Indian Express.

ALSO READ: 1 state, multiple outbreaks: Why Kerala is often the first to record diseases

How is Kerala handling the surge?

The rising cases of amoebic brain fever in Kerala have triggered concerns. Earlier, the infection was reported mostly in children but now it is being seen in adults.

Kerala has recorded at least 10 cases of PAM in the past three months, as per The Hindu report.

On July 23, a 27-year-old man named Akhil died of amoebic brain fever in Thiruvananthapuram. Four other youths, admitted with fever, headache and delirium to the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), who were from the same locality as the deceased were found positive for PAM, as per the newspaper. They are undergoing treatment.

All these young people had bathed in the same pond with stagnant water, as per The Hindu. Kerala Health Department has put up a notice at the location, warning people against entering the pond.

The department has also issued an advisory, asking people to be cautious when using water from ponds where animals are bathed or where there are water hyacinths. People have been told not to bathe or wash their faces in contaminated water, reported PTI.

The Kerala government will conduct a study to ascertain the reasons for the increasing cases of the rare infection. According to the state’s health minister Veena George, several departments, including health and environment, will come together to examine the causes of the rising infections.

The study will also look to identify whether climate change has played any role.

A meeting of the State Rapid Response Team of the health department was held on August 5, with the officials issuing a health warning, urging people to avoid entering any water bodies that contain stagnant water.

The department has ordered that swimming pools and pools in water theme parks should be cleaned and chlorinated regularly, reported The Hindu.

The government is also planning public awareness campaigns to inform people about the disease.

With inputs from agencies