As her condition persisted, she was referred to the Government Beach Hospital, where meningoencephalitis was suspected, leading to her transfer to Kozhikode MCH for further treatment.
Published Aug 29, 2025 | 8:02 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 29, 2025 | 8:02 PM
Naegleria fowleri infects people by entering 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. (Creative Commons)
Synopsis: Fathima developed a fever about a month ago and initially sought care at the Perumanna Family Health Centre, followed by several private hospitals. As her condition persisted, she was referred to the Government Beach Hospital, where meningoencephalitis was suspected, leading to her transfer to Kozhikode MCH for further treatment.
Another case of amoebic meningoencephalitis was confirmed in Kozhikode, on Friday, 29 August. The patient, 45 year-old Fathima Beevi from Perumanna Grama Panchayat, is currently undergoing treatment at Kozhikode MCH.
Fathima developed a fever about a month ago and initially sought care at the Perumanna Family Health Centre, followed by several private hospitals.
As her condition persisted, she was referred to the Government Beach Hospital, where meningoencephalitis was suspected, leading to her transfer to Kozhikode MCH for further treatment.
Family noted that her fever began after returning from Kottakkal where she had stayed for nine days while her daughter received maternity care at an Ayurvedic hospital. The exact source of the infection remains unclear.
Following the case, a meeting was convened at Perumanna Family Health Centre with health workers, panchayat officials, and Haritha Kerala Mission representatives to strengthen preventive measures. Authorities have recommended suspending swimming in all ponds within the panchayat.
Earlier this month, Kerala Health authorities confirmed the presence of amoeba in the well water at the home of a nine year-old girl from Thamarassery, who died after contacting the infection.
The girl, Anaya Sanoop, a Class IV student of Korangad Lower Primary School, developed a fever on 13 August night after attending preparations for her school’s Independence Day celebrations.
She was admitted to the Thamarassery Taluk Hospital the next morning, on 14 August, but as her condition worsened, she was shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, where she died later in the day.
Laboratory tests conducted at the medical college’s microbiology department on 15 August later confirmed amoebic encephalitis as the cause of death.
According to medical experts, the amoeba develops in stagnant and polluted water sources such as ponds, tanks, and waterlogged areas. When people bathe in such contaminated waters, the amoeba can enter through the nose, reach the brain, and cause brain fever, leading to fatalities, he added.
PAM is a rare but often fatal brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri. Symptoms typically appear within 1–9 days and include severe headache, fever, vomiting, neck stiffness, sensitivity to light, seizures and loss of consciousness. Children may also show lethargy, poor appetite and unresponsiveness.
A recent study by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), conducted in collaboration with the District Medical Offices (Health) of Alappuzha, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Thrissur districts, the Central Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, and other agencies, highlighted several concerns.
Delayed water sample collection can complicate diagnosis; misdiagnosis is also common (some patients were initially treated for other forms of meningitis), and there is a pressing need for public health awareness campaigns in local languages.
The study also noted that while the amoeba exists in freshwater worldwide, cases in India remain underreported, emphasising the importance of timely detection and preventive measures.
Hospitals are advised to follow Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs), including rapid testing of cerebrospinal fluid in suspected cases and considering PAM when patients do not respond to standard antibiotic treatment.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
