Amoebic meningoencephalitis is an uncommon brain illness that has been documented in Kerala in four cases, three of which have previously resulted in death.
An amoeba that is free-living and present in contaminated waters is the source of this sickness.
It directly affects the brain cells and tissues and is an infection of the Central Nervous System.
People who are exposed to warm freshwater may develop PAM. It irritates the nerve system after entering the body through the nose.
This typically occurs when diving, swimming, or engaging in other water sports. Young, active persons are primarily affected by this uncommon illness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States, the patient exhibits classic meningitis symptoms in the early stages, including fever, headache and others.
Confusion, losing balance, not paying attention to people or the environment, and hallucinations are examples of progressive symptoms.
Typically, a person may pass away one to eighteen days after exhibiting symptoms.
Due to the infection's rarity, there is no particular therapy for the illness. But in the majority of PAM cases, recovery is not feasible.
At a meeting on Friday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made a number of recommendations, one of which was to avoid bathing in contaminated waterbodies in order to stop the spread of illnesses.
It was also proposed at the meeting that swimming pools ought to be properly chlorinated.
Also, children are suggested to be more careful while entering the waterbodies as they are the ones most affected by this disease.
During the discussion, it was also advised to use swimming nose clips to prevent infection by free-living amoeba.
These incidents in North Kerala have made it imperative that everyone in the country be aware of the disease and heed the advice in order to prevent catching it.