1 Jun 2024 • In a tragic incident in Kerala, India, a 5-year-old child died from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.

This fatal infection is caused by the free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which dwells in water sources such as rivers, ponds, lakes, and hot springs. The amoeba enters the human body through the nose while bathing in these bodies of water, where it penetrates the cribriform plate, causing fever, vomiting, stiff neck, headache, hallucinations, and seizures. Infected people die within 8 days of symptoms.

Warm water above 30°C promotes the proliferation of N. fowleri. Adequate chlorination of water bodies, including indoor swimming pools, can help eliminate N. fowleri because it is vulnerable to chlorine at 2 ppm.

Source: Indian Express | Read full story