Amoebic meningoencephalitis

Kerala has reported another death due to amoebic meningoencephalitis, taking the state’s toll to 27 cases in 2025.

About Amoebic meningoencephalitis:

• What it is?
  • Amoebic meningoencephalitis, or Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), is a rare but fatal brain infection caused by a free-living amoeba that destroys brain tissue, leading to severe  and swelling.
• Causative Agent: It is caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the “brain-eating amoeba.”
• Vector and Transmission:

• • The disease is not spread person-to-person.
  • Infection occurs when contaminated freshwater (from lakes, ponds, or unchlorinated pools) enters the nasal cavity, allowing the amoeba to travel to the brain via the olfactory nerve.
  • It thrives in warm freshwater and soil, particularly during summer months.

• Found in: it is found in warm freshwater bodies—such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained swimming pools—especially in tropical and subtropical regions.
• Symptoms:

• • Early symptoms (1–9 days post-exposure): Headache, fever, nausea, vomiting.
  • Advanced symptoms: Stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, hallucinations, and coma—leading to death within days if untreated.

• Treatment:

• • Treatment is challenging; mortality exceeds 95%.
  • Some survivors have recovered with early administration of amphotericin B, miltefosine, and supportive care.
  • Prevention includes avoiding swimming in untreated freshwater, using nose clips, and maintaining proper chlorination of pools.