ALAPPUZHA: Health Minister Veena George has said that primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is a disease with a hundred per cent mortality rate. The minister also stated that all five people who have been confirmed with this disease in the state have died. The disease had been confirmed in Alappuzha in 2016, Malappuram in 2019 and 2020, Kozhikode in 2020 and Thrissur in 2022.

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is caused by brain-eating amoeba. This amoeba is found in stagnant water bodies. It is a rare disease affecting only one in ten thousand. The amoeba, which lives freely in water, enters the body through the nose or when bathing in a pool or other.

The symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, vomiting, seizures and changes in personality or behavior, the minister said. The district health department officials have instructed to avoid bathing and washing the face in contaminated water.

The deceased is Gurudath (15),a 10th class student.He was undergoing treatment at Alappuzha Medical College since Sunday.