56-year-old woman dies of amoebic brain infection, 12 under treatment

KOZHIKODE: A 56-year-old woman, who was undergoing treatment for amoebic meningoencephalitis at Kozhikode Medical College, has died. She has been identified as Sobhana of Wandoor in Malappuram. 12 including two children are under treatment. Five people have died of the disease in the past one month. Medical college authorities have informed that medicines, including those from abroad, are being brought in and administered to patients.

Ratheesh of Sultan Bathery in Wayanad, who was undergoing treatment for amoebic encephalitis, died on Saturday. A ten-year-old boy of Malappuram was confirmed to have amoebic encephalitis on Thursday. The child is being treated at Kozhikode Medical College. Doctors had informed that there is concern about his health as those in critical condition have other illnesses. A three-month-old baby who was undergoing treatment for amoebic encephalitis died a few days ago. The dead was Mohammed Ahil, son of Abdul Siddique and Mainuna, a couple from Kaniyampuram in Omassery. The baby, who had low immunity, was on ventilator at the Maternal and Child Care Center.

Meantime, the doctors said that there are complications in finding the source of the disease. Amoebic encephalitis is a disease that occurs when a pathogen belonging to the amoeba family called Naegleria fowleri affects the brain. The most dangerous of these is a pathogen known as ‘brain-eating amoeba.’ It can rapidly destroy the brain. It usually affects people who swim or dive in stagnant water.