The brain eating amoeba has sparked fear among the public in the Indian state of Kerala.
According to Indian media reports, the Kerala Health Department stated on its website that a new case of Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (also known as brain eating amoeba) has been reported this year, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 67.
According to the Kerala Health Department, the latest case was confirmed in a 17 year old boy from Thiruvananthapuram. It was revealed that the boy had bathed with his friends in a swimming pool at Akkulam Tourist Village. The Health Department has since shut down the swimming pool.
The Health Department added that so far 16 cases of brain eating amoeba have been reported in Kerala, of which 18 deaths have occurred, including five within the past month. Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George stressed the need for strict guidelines to tackle this disease and advised the public to maintain cleanliness regarding water.
Medical experts have also instructed people not to wash their faces or bathe in stagnant or contaminated water, including ponds where livestock are bathed. The Health Minister further stated that wells should be chlorinated scientifically.
