A 13-year-old boy from Ramanattukara, Kozhikode, died of amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba found in contaminated water. The boy, E P Mridul, son of Ajith Prasad and Jyothi, had been on ventilator support for 24 hours after showing symptoms of vomiting and headache following a swim in the Achankulam near Farook College on June 16. He was a class seven student at Farook College Higher Secondary School.
This tragic incident marks the third death due to amoebic meningitis in Kerala within two months, following the deaths of a 13-year-old girl in Kannur and a five-year-old girl in Malappuram. Amoebic meningoencephalitis, often caused by Naegleria fowleri or the “brain-eating amoeba,” typically occurs in warm, freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, and inadequately chlorinated swimming pools.
To prevent such infections, it is advised to avoid swimming in warm freshwater during high temperatures, use nose clips or avoid submerging the head in freshwater, and ensure that swimming pools and hot tubs are properly chlorinated and maintained. Early symptoms of the infection, which appear within 1-9 days, include severe headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
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