Another death due to amoebic meningoencephalitis in Kerala, deceased from Kozhikode

KOZHIKODE: Another death due to amoebic meningoencephalitis has been reported in Kerala. The deceased is Sachidanandan, a native of Puthiyangadi, Kozhikode. He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for a week following vomiting. It is not clear from where he contracted the disease. A sample of the well water from Sachidanandan's house has been sent for testing. Earlier, the disease was only diagnosed in people who bathed in contaminated ponds and other places, but later it was also found in people who used well water.

The number of people infected with amoebic meningoencephalitis last year alone was close to 200. More than forty deaths have been reported. The source remains unclear, although a field study has been started by the state health department and experts from the ICMR National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai.