Kerala Issues Alert As Amoebic Meningoencephalitis Cases Spark Health Emergency

kerala issues alert as amoebic meningoencephalitis cases spark health emergency

Health Minister Veena George held a high-level meeting of the health department in the background of two deaths and one case of hospitalisation due to amoebic meningoencephalitis since the last two months.

It has been decided that special guidelines will be released for the state regarding amoebic meningoencephalitis. Instructions have been given to strengthen awareness. The amoeba enters the brain through rare openings in the thin membrane that separates the nose from the brain or through a hole in the eardrum and causes meningoencephalitis. Therefore, children with pus in their ears should not bathe in ponds, stagnant water, etc. The minister requested to seek treatment immediately if symptoms are seen.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis is a very rare disease in people who have contact with standing or running water sources. There are very few scientific studies and study results about this rare disease. Statistics indicate that only 2.6 out of 10 lakh people who come in contact with such water in the world get this disease. The disease usually occurs when Naegleria fowleri, a type of amoeba, infects the brain. This disease is not transmitted from human to human. The amoeba that lives in stagnant water enters the human body through the thin skin of the nose and causes encephalitis, which seriously affects the brain.

Disease symptomsSymptoms appear within one to nine days of infection. The primary symptoms are severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and difficulty turning the neck. Later, when it reaches a critical condition, there are symptoms like epilepsy, loss of consciousness and memory loss. Diagnosis is made by taking fluid from the spinal cord and testing it. People who bathe in stagnant water should report these symptoms and seek treatment.

Preventive measuresAmoeba enters the body through bathing in stagnant or unclean water. So avoid bathing in stagnant water or drains and pouring water into your nose. Do not ignore symptoms and see a doctor as soon as possible. There is no problem with children bathing in properly chlorinated swimming pools.