Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills 15-Year-Old In Kerala, Here Are Symptoms To Watch Out For

Five cases of the rare brain infection caused by free-living amoebae living in contaminated waters had been reported in Kerala before and all the infected patients had died.

New Delhi: A 15-year-old boy, who was affected by a rare brain infection caused by free-living amoebae living in contaminated waters, died in Kerala's Alappuzha district last week. The teenager was a native of nearby Panavalli in the Alappuzha district and was infected with the disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.

Confirming the boy's death, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Friday that five such cases of the rare infection had been reported in the southern Indian state before. The first was reported in the Thirumala ward of Alappuzha in 2016, while two cases were confirmed in Malappuram in 2019 and 2020, and one each was reported in Kozhikode and Thrissur in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

"All the infected patients had died," George told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, adding that the mortality rate for the rare brain infection was 100 per cent. 

Brain-Eating Amoeba Is Also Known As Naegleria Fowleri

Brain-eating amoeba is also known as Naegleria fowleri and is a microscopic single-celled living amoeba.

It is commonly found in warm freshwaters -- such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs -- and soil. 

How Does Naegleria Fowleri Infect People?

Naegleria fowleri reportedly infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose. This usually happens when people go swimming or when they put their heads under fresh water in lakes or rivers. 

The amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain and destroys the brain tissue. It also causes a devastating infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is almost always fatal.

People can also be infected when they use contaminated tap water to cleanse their noses during religious practices or rinse their sinuses (sending water up the nose).

Most Naegleria fowleri infections happen in young males, especially those 14 years old and younger.

Symptoms Of Brain-Eating Amoeba

The first symptoms of brain-eating amoeba usually start about five days after infection, but they can also start within 1 to 12 days. The main symptoms of the disease include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. 

Later symptoms can include a stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, seizures, hallucinations, and coma.

After symptoms start, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about five days.