Amoebic meningoencephalitis cases go up in Kerala; ICMR steps in to study cause

Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will conduct a study on the rising number of amoebic meningoencephalitis cases in the state. The study will be carried out by the Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode medical colleges, along with the ICMR’s Institute of Epidemiology, focusing on the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Malappuram and Kozhikode.

Training for data collection has begun at the district medical officer level. The sessions, which started in Kozhikode yesterday, will continue at Manjeri Medical College tomorrow, at the Kollam NHM conference hall on the 31st and at the NHM conference hall of the Thiruvananthapuram Health Directorate. The research team will visit affected areas and interact with patients.

The study aims to identify the reasons behind the surge in amoebic meningoencephalitis cases in Kerala, especially since the disease is rarely reported elsewhere in India or globally. It will also examine differences in mortality rates. Although the disease has a fatality rate of 97 per cent, several patients in Kerala have recovered quickly, which experts attribute to advanced laboratory facilities that allow early diagnosis and treatment.

The State Health Department has linked the rise in cases to poor waste management, noting that garbage, including abattoir waste, dumped into water bodies promotes the growth of coliform bacteria, a preferred food source for amoeba.

30 deaths reported this year

Amoebic meningoencephalitis has claimed 30 lives in Kerala so far this year, with 144 confirmed cases. Thiruvananthapuram reported 47 cases, followed by Malappuram (24), and Kollam and Kozhikode (23 each).

District most affected

Thiruvananthapuram has reported the highest number of cases, with 29 people currently under treatment and five deaths recorded. Doctors have urged the public not to panic, assuring that the district has adequate facilities, including the public health laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram, for prompt testing and early detection.