'Brain-eating amoeba' kills 19 in India's Kerala

This year, the Indian state of Kerala has recorded 61 confirmed cases of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) and 19 deaths, with many of these deaths being reported in the past few weeks, according to NDTV.

Kerala health authorities are on alert after a spike in cases of  (PAM), a brain infection with a high fatality rate. This infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the "brain-eating amoeba."

State Health Minister Veena George has said Kerala is grappling with a serious public health challenge. The infections, previously linked to clusters in districts like Kozhikode and Malappuram, are now appearing sporadically across the state. Patients range from a three-month-old infant to a 91-year-old. "Unlike last year, we are not seeing clusters linked to a single water source. These are single, isolated cases, and this has complicated our epidemiological investigations," she said.

According to a Kerala government document, PAM affects the central nervous system. "This infection destroys brain tissue, causing severe brain swelling and death in most cases. PAM is rare and usually occurs in otherwise healthy children, teens and young adults," it says.