77-year-old woman dies while undergoing treatment: Another death in Kerala due to Amebic Meningoencephalitis 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Deaths due to Amebic Meningoencephalitis continue in Kerala. A 77-year-old woman from Chirayinkeezhu Azhoor, Thiruvananthapuram, has died. The housewife had been undergoing treatment for about a month. She died while undergoing treatment at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. The source of her disease is not yet clear.

With the number of deaths due to Amebic Meningoencephalitis increasing in the state, the Health Department has started a study to find out the causes and source of the disease. The study is being conducted jointly by the Health Department and experts from the ICMR National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai.

Despite being an environment-related disease, the team does not include environmental experts. The team is limited in studying all aspects of the spread of the disease because of this, say health workers. They only have an understanding of the disease and its treatment. The study team is led by people from the community medicine and public health departments.

The field study began in Kozhikode. The study will also be conducted in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Malappuram districts where the disease has been reported. Since the spread and source of the disease are different, each case should be studied separately. The homes and surroundings of the infected and deceased will be assessed. The source of drinking water here will also be studied. Water samples will be collected.

The study will take at least six months to complete. A technical workshop was organized in August and further studies were conducted with the participation of experts from Kerala and ICMR, IAV, Pondicherry AV Institute, Indian Institute of Science, and Pollution Control Board. This is a continuation of the field-level study.