Five deaths reported due to rare brain infection in Kerala since January

A total of five deaths have been reported in Kerala due to amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and fatal brain infection, from January to August this year, Health Minister Veena George said on Wednesday.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis

She said that 15 cases of the infection were reported in the state this year, out of which nine are active cases. Seven out of the 15 cases were reported from Kerala's capital, Thiruvanathapuram.

"We have six cases under treatment now, and we suspect two more cases, who are also admitted in hospitals," she said.

The minister said that there were no guidelines in the country for amoebic meningoencephalitis, as it is a very rare disease.

“Kerala has developed a special set of guidelines for the treatment of amoebic meningoencephalitis patients. The Union government supplied the medicine initially, because this drug comes under the central supply. However, as we needed more medicine, we also procured medicine from Germany," she said.

The health minister further said that the condition of the people admitted to the hospital is stable.

"If we diagnose the disease in the initial stage and ensure proper treatment, people can be saved. We have formed a medical board which is monitoring their situation. We have contacted the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for a combined study and research, and it has responded positively," she said.

Veena George said that the infection is not contagious and it doesn't spread through direct contact.

"It spreads through Amoeba and can occur in adults who have undergone surgery on the skull or have a sensitive nasal membrane. However, we were to find out how kids were getting infected," the Health Minister said, adding that people got infected by coming in contact with contaminated water.

"We have requested the public to inform the health department even if they have a headache," she said.

"We are asking for more medicine. We expect to get it within a month. Since this infection does not have any specific literature globally, we are trying to set up some guidelines for it," the minister added.