In what may seem untrue, a five-year-old girl from Moonniyur panchayat in Kerala’s Malappuram district lost her life from amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and deadly brain infection. As per the official sources on Tuesday, this brain infection is caused by a free-living amoeba found in contaminated water.
The child, who had been undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College’s Institute of Maternal and Child Health for over a week, succumbed to the infection on Monday night. Medical experts explained that the infection occurs when free-living, non-parasitic amoebae enter the body through the nose from contaminated water.
The girl had bathed in a nearby pond on 1st May and began showing symptoms, including fever, headache, and vomiting, by 10th May. Despite being on a ventilator and receiving medication, she remained unresponsive. Other children who had bathed in the same pond were placed under observation but were later discharged after being found free of infection, sources confirmed.
Amoebic meningoencephalitis, though rare, has been reported in Kerala before, with cases documented in the coastal Alappuzha district in 2023 and 2017. The primary symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, and seizures. This tragic incident highlights the severe risks posed by contaminated water and the need for heightened awareness and preventive measures.
