A 17-year-old boy in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram has contracted a deadly brain infection known as amoebic meningoencephalitis. Following the case coming to light, the health department has shut the swimming pool at Akkulam Tourist Village and taken water samples for examination. Officials observed that the teenager had visited the facility with friends the day before and had bathed there.
According to the latest figures released through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme on the department’s website on 14th September, Kerala has documented 67 cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis this year, resulting in 18 fatalities.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George stressed the pressing requirement for stringent preventative measures to tackle amoebic meningoencephalitis, urging the public to remain alert regarding water safety and hygiene.
She stated, “We must establish a robust defence against amoebic meningoencephalitis. We must ensure that we do not wash our faces or bathe in stagnant or contaminated water, including water sources where livestock are washed.”
The Minister also mentioned that wells must be scientifically chlorinated, and swimming pools at aquatic theme parks must be properly treated with chlorine, with maintenance records kept securely. “Domestic water storage facilities should be maintained cleanly. The amoeba enters your brain via your nose, so ensure water doesn’t enter your nostrils,” she added.
Last week, the state reported its fifth fatality in a month from the illness. The most recent victim, Shobhana, a 56-year-old woman from Vandoor in Malappuram district, died while receiving treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
Another patient, Ratheesh, a 45-year-old resident of Sulthan Bathery, also succumbed to the same disease while undergoing treatment at the same facility.
