Boy dies of infection caused by rare brain-eating amoeba in Kerala

KOZHIKODE: A 14-year-old boy, who was receiving treatment for amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare brain infection caused by a free-living amoeba found in contaminated waters, passed away at a private hospital in Kerala.
The state health department announced on Thursday that Mridul succumbed to the infection at 11.20pm on Wednesday. This marks the third case of fatal infection reported in Kerala since May.
The first case involved a five-year-old girl from Malappuram who died on May 21, followed by a 13-year-old girl from Kannur who passed away on June 25.
According to health department sources, the child had taken a dip in a small pond in the area, and preventive measures are being implemented. Medical experts explained that the infection occurs when free-living, non-parasitic amoebae bacteria enter the body through the nose from contaminated water.
The health authorities have advised the public to exercise caution against amoebic meningoencephalitis. The disease had previously been reported in the coastal Alappuzha district of Kerala in 2023 and 2017.