Kerala Updates Amebic Meningoencephalitis Cases: 66 Infected, 17 Dead in 2025
Kerala is facing a worrying rise in Amebic Meningoencephalitis, a rare brain infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri. The Kerala Health Department has just revised its numbers, showing that 66 people have caught the infection this year, with 17 confirmed deaths so far. This update comes from the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) and clears up earlier confusion.
Previously, officials reported only two confirmed deaths from Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), with 14 more suspected. Now, they’ve confirmed all 17 fatalities. Just yesterday, on September 12, two new cases popped up, pushing this month’s total to 19 infections and seven deaths. Back on September 10, the count stood at 60 cases, including 42 suspected ones—numbers that have now been adjusted for accuracy.
This isn’t Kerala’s only health challenge. Leptospirosis, also known as rat fever, remains the deadliest infectious disease in the state for 2025, with 139 lives lost so far, including 13 just this month. Other threats include Hepatitis A (58 deaths), dengue fever (33 deaths), seasonal fevers (38 deaths), and rabies (23 deaths).
Health authorities are staying on high alert amid this cluster of PAM cases in districts during August and September. The infection spreads through contaminated freshwater entering the nose, often during swimming or bathing, and it’s tough to beat with a high fatality rate.
To tackle this, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Kerala’s health team are ramping up surveillance. They’re running lab tests on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), nasal swabs, and water samples, plus epidemiological probes in affected areas. Fever surveys continue in local communities.
On the public health front, they’re testing people with fever or symptoms in hit districts and have alerted places like Kozhikode Medical College and district hospitals. Awareness drives are urging folks to steer clear of risks from freshwater exposure.
Key steps include cleaning and chlorinating wells and public water sources. Officials are pushing environmental checks to spot and stop the amoeba in ponds, rivers, and stagnant water.
For everyday prevention against Naegleria fowleri and PAM, here’s what experts advise:
- Skip swimming or bathing in ponds, rivers, or still water.
- Make sure swimming pools and water parks are properly chlorinated.
- Wear nose clips or pinch your nose if you’re in freshwater.
- Regularly clean and chlorinate home wells.
- Rush to a doctor if you notice headaches, fever, stiff neck, or confusion after water contact—these could signal meningoencephalitis.
Kerala hopes these measures will curb the spread of this deadly amoeba infection. Stay safe and informed, especially if you’re near water bodies!
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