Brain eating infection claims one more life in Kerala, six deaths in a month

MALAPPURAM: Brain eating infection has claimed the life of one more person in Kerala. The dead is Shaji of Chelembra in Malappuram. He died last night. He had some liver aliments. His body did not respond to medicines. It is not clear from where he contracted the disease. His body has been taken home.

This is the sixth death due to amoebic encephalitis in the state in a month. A nine-year-old girl from Thamarassery died of amoebic encephalitis on August 16. Then later a three-month-old baby died of the same disease.

M Shobhana (56), wife of Vappadan Raman of Wandoor died on Tuesday. She was admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital in a critical condition last Thursday. Shobhana, who was unconscious, was diagnosed with the disease during a test at the microbiology lab. Chlorination was done on suspicion that the disease may have been contracted from well water.

Presently 11 people are undergoing treatment in Kozhikode for amoebic encephalitis. They are from various districts. Ten of them are being treated at the medical college and one at a private hospital. Yesterday, a girl from Malappuram was confirmed of the disease.

In the wake of the spread of the disease, preventive measures have been intensified by the corporation and local bodies. The health department authorities have directed the respective local self-government bodies to clean stagnant water sources and ponds.