Kerala reports fourth case of brain-eating amoeba: What is it? Symptoms, causes and other details here

Kerala reports another case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) on Friday. 

A 14-year-old boy residing in Payyoli, North Kerala district has been reported to have contracted the disease according to reports.This is the fourth case in two months.

Previously, E.P Mridul from Kozhikode district died of the same disease on Wednesday. This is the third death due to the infection.

Meanwhile, a high-level meeting was held by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday where the CM advised to avoid contaminated water bodies and to ensure that swimming pools are chlorinated.

What is primary amoebic meningoencephalitis or PAM?

 It is a dangerous and rare central nervous system infection which is caused by amoebae found in freshwater , lakes and rivers. PAM is one of the types of a broader disease called amoebic encephalitis. The initial symptoms of PAM are similar to bacterial meningitis. The mortality rate is above 90% even with antimicrobial therapy, according to a report by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information. It is also known as brain eating amoeba as it directly affects brain cells and tissues.

PAM occurs to people exposed to warm freshwater. It enters the body through the nose and inflames the nervous system. This can usually happen while swimming, diving or practising other water sports activities. This rare disease mainly affects young and active people.

In the early stages the patient shows typical meningitis symptoms such as fever, headache, stiff neck , nausea etc. according to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States. Progressive symptoms can be confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, and hallucinations. Death may usually occur between 1 to 18 days after the beginning of symptoms.

There is no specific treatment for the disease because of the rarity of this infection. However, recovery is not possible in most PAM cases.