Health officials in Kerala have issued an alert in Kozhikode after a nine-year-old girl died from a rare brain infection caused by a “brain-eating” amoeba. The girl was admitted with fever on August 13 and shifted to Kozhikode Medical College a day later as her condition worsened. She died the same day. Doctors confirmed that the cause was Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). Authorities are now checking which water source may have carried the infection.

What is primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis?

PAM is caused by Naegleria fowleri, often called the brain-eating amoeba. It is a tiny organism that lives in warm freshwater bodies like lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It grows well in high heat and can survive temperatures of up to 46°C.

How does the infection spread?

The amoeba enters the body when contaminated water goes up the nose while swimming, diving, or even washing the face. From there, it travels to the brain and starts destroying brain tissue, leading to a deadly infection. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) explains that PAM is rare but almost always fatal.

The infection does not spread from one person to another. However, people can get infected by swimming in dirty or chlorine-free pools, or by using contaminated water to rinse their noses.

Symptoms of the infection

Early signs usually appear within five days and include fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include a stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and even coma. Doctors say the infection destroys brain tissue quickly, and in most cases, death occurs within one to five days. The fatality rate is close to 97 per cent.

There is currently no fixed treatment for Naegleria fowleri infection, mainly because it is so rare. However, doctors have tried several drugs that have shown some benefit in a few cases.

Health experts say the best way to stay safe is to avoid swimming in water that may be contaminated. A health advisory from Georgia’s Department of Public Health in 2023 noted that people can “reduce your risk of infection by limiting the amount of water that goes up the nose.”

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