BRAIN EATERS
Tiny Life Lost to a ‘Brain-Eating’ Amoeba: What Kerala’s Recent Deaths Mean — and How to Stay Safe
A nine-year-old girl from Thamarassery, Kozhikode, died after contracting a rare brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri — the so-called “brain-eating amoeba.” Health officials confirmed this is the fourth reported case in the district this year; a three-month-old infant and one other person are also being treated. Authorities are investigating nearby ponds and lakes as possible sources.
What Naegleria fowleri is
It’s a free-living amoeba that lives in warm freshwater (stagnant ponds, lakes, sometimes poorly treated tap water). It can enter the body through the nose — for example while swimming or during nasal rinsing with unsterilised water — then travel up the olfactory nerve to the brain and cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rapidly fatal disease.
Signs to watch for (appear 3–7 days after exposure):
Fever, severe headache, vomiting
Confusion, drowsiness, hallucinations
Seizures, changes in smell/taste
PAM moves shockingly fast; death often occurs within a few days. Worldwide fatality is extremely high (around 97%). Early symptoms look like common infections, which makes the disease dangerous.
Why Kerala is seeing more cases now:
Experts point to a mix of more testing, environmental changes (warmer water, pollution) and increased reporting since 2023 — Kerala had very few cases earlier but dozens were recorded recently. The health department has issued treatment protocols and is tracing water-sources.
Practical safety steps:
Avoid swimming in warm, stagnant freshwater — especially after heavy rain.
Don’t put unboiled or unfiltered water up your nose — use sterile, boiled (cooled) or properly filtered water for nasal rinses or ablutions.
Use safe water for babies and avoid immersion of infants’ heads in lakes/ponds.
Seek immediate medical help for high fever + severe headache after freshwater exposure.
Source: Times of India
