Kerala: A deadly outbreak of Naegleria fowleri, or the brain-eating amoeba, has claimed 21 lives and infected 80 people in Kerala, raising alarms across the state. Health officials are urging residents to take precautions, particularly during the hot months when the amoeba thrives in freshwater and stagnant water sources.
The amoeba enters the human body through the nose, typically during swimming, bathing, or ritual ablutions, and attacks the brain, causing primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) — a rare but almost always fatal infection.
Experts say stagnant ponds, wells, and unchlorinated pools serve as ideal breeding grounds. “The organism multiplies quickly in warm, stagnant water. Avoiding nasal contact with untreated water can prevent infections,” warned a state health official.
Authorities have launched awareness drives advising citizens to boil or chlorinate water, avoid untested freshwater, and use nose clips when necessary. Hospitals have been put on high alert to ensure early detection and treatment.
Kerala’s health department is intensifying monitoring of freshwater sources and urging the public to report symptoms such as fever, severe headache, nausea, and stiff neck immediately, as early intervention can be lifesaving.
