The amoeba travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue and causes swelling of the brain.
Brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri. (iStock)
Days after the second case of Amoebic meningoencephalitis-related death was reported in Kerala, a third case has come forward in the state, this time from Kozhikode.
Health authorities on Friday, 28 June, reported that a 12-year-old boy from Irumooliparamabu, near Farook College, has been infected by the disease.
The boy who is admitted to a private hospital is said to be in critical condition.
It is learnt that the boy swam Achamkulam lake and after six days developed some symptoms.
People get infected as the amoeba enters the body through the nose, usually while swimming. The amoeba travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue and causes swelling of the brain.
Talking to South First, Ramanattukara Municipality’s Melevaram ward councillor Beena Prabha said that the health department has intimated.
The development and precautionary, as well as surveillance programmes, are in progress in the area.
“Around this Achamkulam lake, there are 98 houses, with 336 members. We had reached out to them. Door-to-door surveys were conducted. With the help of health officials, we conducted an awareness programme and are closely monitoring the situation. The said water body has been chlorinated and cordoned off,” said Beena.
She also added that the family health centre in the area is keeping a close tab on people coming with fever and other symptoms.
“Samples of people who used the water body as well as those having symptoms were collected and sent for analysis,” added her.
On 25 June it was confirmed that a 13-year-old girl, from Kannur, who succumbed at a private hospital in Kozhikode was infected with a rare variety of free-living amoeba.
which might have entered her body from a swimming pool that she accessed while on a tour from school on 28 January.
Before that, on 21 May, a five-year-old child who was undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, for amoebic meningoencephalitis also lost her life.
The child, a native of Kaliyattamukku in the Mooniyoor grama panchayath of the Malappuram district, is suspected to have been infected with the amoeba after she swam along with her relatives in the nearby Kadalundi River.
Amoebic meningoencephalitis is a rare brain infection that is caused by Naegleria fowleri.
Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater environments, such as lakes, hot springs, and poorly maintained swimming pools. The amoeba enters the body through the nose, and it then travels to the brain where it causes infection and inflammation.
“Another uncommon way of entry could be through a ritual, where people rinse their nostrils and nasal passages using water, including tap water,” said Dr Kumar.
Once inside the nasal passage, Naegleria fowleri travels through the olfactory nerve to the brain, where it causes severe damage to the tissues. The infection typically progresses rapidly, leading to inflammation of the brain and the meninges.
Unfortunately, the prognosis for PAM is extremely poor, with a high fatality rate. The infection progresses rapidly and, if left untreated, it can lead to death within a matter of days.
Immediate medical attention is crucial in increasing the chances of survival. Treatment options include aggressive use of antifungal and antimicrobial drugs, as well as measures to reduce brain swelling and inflammation.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
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