Kerala’s brain-eating amoeba that enters through nose has 97% fatality rate; only 20 survived globally till date
On September 1, two patients-three-month-old baby and a 52-year-old female-Kozhikode government died within hours at the Medical College. Both were receiving pam treatment. Until mid -September, it climbed to 19, 69 suspects or confirmed cases have been reported throughout the state, considering that only 488 cases have been documented globally since 1962, an unprecedented figure.
Brain -eating amoeba: fatal but rare
PAM is one of the most deadly infections known for a 97% mortality rate. Amoeba develops in hot, stagnant fresh water – ponds, lakes, chlorine -free swimming pools and neglected tanks. The infection only occurs when contaminine enters the water nose, allowing the parasit to go to the brain along the odor nerve, destroy the tissue and trigger large inflammation.
Symptoms, treatment and check how you will be safe
Symptoms usually occur 3-7 days after exposure and rapid progress: fever, headache, vomiting, then hard neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations and coma. More than 20 survivors were recorded worldwide, many remained with neurological damage. There is no vaccine and the treatments using antifungal, antibiotic and cooling treatment combinations rarely succeed. Most importantly, pam does not spread from person to person and does not consist of drinking water-only from the exposure of nose.
Brain -eating amoeba: Kerala’s unique epidemic
Contrary to typical sporadic cases linked to a single source, Kerala reported cases from more than one region without common water source – Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Thrissur and Malaappuram. This triggered protests that demanded the testing of wells and public taps. Experts say that the higher number of cases may reflect more powerful surveillance systems that have previously helped Kerala’s detection of Nipah, Zika and Covid-19. Kerala, a state -wide chlorination campaign, ‘blinds Jeevan’ (water, life life), tanks and school storage units disinfected. While Panchayats follows public water points, hospitals are awake to treat meningitis -like symptoms as potential pam cases. Miltefocin and other drugs have been stocked, but authorities emphasize that prevention – contaminated water that enters the nose is the best protection to avoid water.
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