Unhygienic and stagnant water resources and high temperatures could be the factors contributing to the recent unusual rise in the rare, but fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis cases in Kerala.
Three cases of the infection, including two deaths, have been reported in the last two months alone. While a five-year-old girl from Malappuram district died in May, a 13-year-old girl from Kannur district lost her life in June. Another 12-year-old boy from Feroke in Kozhikode district is right now undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital. First detected in Alappuzha municipality in 2016, it was reported in Malappuram in 2019 and 2020, Kozhikode in 2020, Thrissur in 2022, and again in Alappuzha in 2023.
“There has been a rise in such cases the world over. Warming of the atmosphere and stagnant and unhygienic water resources could be some of the conditions leading to it. This type of amoeba is found to be more active in warm water,” M.P. Jayakrishnan, Additional Professor, Paediatrics, Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, told The Hindu on Sunday. Dr. Jayakrishnan was among those who treated the five-year-old girl from Malappuram and also suspected the possibility of the infection.
“Earlier, we used to have cases of bacterial meningitis among children. But, its instances have come down of late due to vaccination. The five-year-old girl had symptoms similar to that of bacterial meningitis. That was when we thought if it could be amoebic meningoencephalitis,” he pointed out.
This infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, also called ‘brain-eating amoeba’, which lives in fresh warm water, such as lakes and rivers. The amoeba infects people when it enters their body through the nose. It travels up to the brain from the nose, where it destroys the brain tissues and results in its swelling. The symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, altered mental status, and seizures.
Meanwhile, K.K. Purushothaman, Professor, Paediatrics, MES Medical College Hospital, Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, suggested more studies to find out what was exactly leading to the increasing instances of the infection. “Is it because of the lifestyle change among those who are susceptible to it? Or is it the change in environment? We need to figure out if the organism is becoming more virulent in recent times. Are the dumping of waste or pollution in natural waterbodies favourable for the growth of such organisms?,” he asked. Both Dr. Jayakrishnan and Dr. Purushothaman said that avoiding swimming and bathing in unhygienic and stagnant water resources would help.
Published - June 30, 2024 11:14 pm IST
