At the least 19 deaths and 72 infections of the Naegleria fowleri amoeba have been recorded this 12 months, greater than double in contrast with final 12 months.
Revealed On 18 Sep 2025
Authorities in India’s southern state of Kerala have issued a well being alert after infections and deaths brought on by a uncommon water-borne “brain-eating” amoeba greater than doubled in contrast with final 12 months.
Officers on Wednesday mentioned Kerala had registered 69 instances of main amoebic meningoencephalitis because the begin of 2025, together with 19 deaths, following contact with the Naegleria fowleri amoeba. Three of the deaths have been recorded within the final month, together with that of a three-month-old child.
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Final 12 months, there have been 9 deaths of 36 reported instances.
The amoeba, which doesn’t unfold from individual to individual, lives in heat lakes and rivers and is contracted by contaminated water coming into the nostril.
“Not like final 12 months, we’re not seeing clusters linked to a single water supply,” state Well being Minister Veena George was quoted as saying by NDTV information. “These are single, remoted instances, which has sophisticated our epidemiological investigations.”
The Kerala authorities has begun chlorinating wells, water tanks and public bathing areas, and areas the place individuals are more likely to bathe and are available in contact with the amoeba, NDTV reported.
‘Instances throughout the state’
Whereas numbers stay low, a physician who’s a part of a authorities activity pressure to forestall the unfold, mentioned officers have been “conducting assessments on a big scale throughout the state to detect and deal with instances”.
“It’s worrying that new instances this 12 months have emerged from throughout the state, versus particular pockets prior to now,” Altaf Ali advised AFP information company.
In accordance with the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), infections are “very uncommon however almost at all times deadly”.
The well being company says it’s usually referred to as a “brain-eating amoeba” as a result of it may well “infect the mind and destroy mind tissue”. If it reaches the mind, the amoeba may cause an an infection that kills greater than 95 p.c of these affected.
The World Well being Group says signs embrace headache, fever and vomiting, which quickly progress to “seizures, altered psychological standing, hallucinations, and coma”.
Kerala’s first case of an infection was reported in 2016.
Since 1962, almost 500 instances have been reported worldwide, principally in america, India, Pakistan and Australia.
