Brain-eating amoeba kills 15-year-old boy in Kerala, here are the symptoms

New Delhi: Last week, a 15-year-old boy died in Kerala’s Alappuzha district after being affected by a rare brain infection caused by free-living amoeba living in contaminated water. The teen was a native of Panavali in nearby Alappuzha district and was infected with a disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.

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

“All the infected patients had died,” George told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. He said the death rate from the rare brain infection was 100 percent.

The 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 fresh water – such as lakes, rivers and hot springs – and in 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 head under fresh water in lakes or rivers.

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

People can also become infected when they use contaminated tap water to clean their nose or to rinse their sinuses (blowing water into the nose) during religious practices.

Most Naegleria fowleri infections occur in young men, especially those 14 years of age and younger.

brain-eating amoeba symptoms

The first symptoms of a brain-eating amoeba usually begin 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 may include neck stiffness, confusion, loss of attention to people and surroundings, seizures, hallucinations, and coma.

After symptoms begin, the disease progresses rapidly and usually results in death within about five days.