Rare brain-eating amoeba claims life of 12-year-old in Kerala
A 12-year-old boy succumbed to a rare brain infection known as amoebic meningoencephalitis on Wednesday night in Kerala's Kozhikode district. The seventh-grade student, Mridul EP, from Feroke was admitted to a private hospital on June 24 after experiencing severe headache, nausea, and vomiting. Health officials believe Mridul contracted the fatal infection after bathing in a local pond.
Amoeba-Infected pond closed following boy's death
Following Mridul's demise, officials from the Ramanattukara municipality sealed off the pond where he had bathed. This incident marks the third minor fatality in Kerala due to this deadly infection since May. The previous victims included a five-year-old girl from Malappuram and a 13-year-old girl from Kannur district. "We are evaluating the situation in the backdrop of the three deaths and have intensified surveillance," stated a senior government health official.
Health officials intensify surveillance, assure no cause for panic
The health official confirmed that checks were conducted on other children and individuals who had bathed in the same pond as Mridul, but no symptoms have been detected so far. He assured the public that there was no need for panic as this is an extremely rare infection. The official also mentioned plans to test samples from various water sources for the presence of the amoeba species. "So far no one has shown any symptoms," he reiterated.
Amoebic meningoencephalitis: A rare but deadly infection
Amoebic meningoencephalitis, caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, has a 90% mortality rate. At present, the treatment primarily involves antimicrobial therapy. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most individuals with this condition die within one to 18 days of symptom onset, often deteriorating rapidly and entering a coma within approximately five days. This disease was previously reported in Kerala's coastal Alappuzha district in 2023 and 2017.
