India has issued a health alert following a rise in infections and fatalities due to a rare waterborne “brain-eating” amoeba in Kerala, which have doubled compared to the previous year.
While the numbers remain small, Dr. Altaf Ali, a member of the government task force tackling the spread, informed AFP that extensive testing is underway across the state to identify and treat cases.
This year, officials have reported 19 deaths and 72 infections from the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, with nine deaths and 24 cases occurring in September alone.
Last year, the amoeba was responsible for nine deaths out of 36 reported cases.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes it is called a “brain-eating amoeba” because it can infect and destroy brain tissue.
When the amoeba reaches the brain, it leads to an infection that proves fatal in over 95% of cases.
The CDC states that infections are “very rare but almost always fatal”.
The amoeba inhabits warm lakes and rivers, spreading when contaminated water enters the nose. It is not transmissible between people.
The World Health Organization lists symptoms as headache, fever, and vomiting, quickly escalating to “seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations, and coma”.
“It’s concerning that new cases have emerged statewide this year, rather than in specific areas as before,” Ali stated.
Globally, nearly 500 cases have been recorded since 1962, primarily in the US, India, Pakistan, and Australia.
