One more case of amoebic meningoencephalitis detected in State

A new case of amoebic meningoencephalitis was confirmed in a 17-year-old boy from Chenkal in the district on Saturday, taking the total number of the infection reported from the district this year to 14.

The boy has been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.

According to health officials, the boy had reported swimming in the pool at the Aakkulam tourist village a few days ago. Following the confirmation of amoebic meningoencephalitis, officials collected water samples from the pool and asked tourism officials to shut the pool till further notice.

Swimming in contaminated water or water in pools which are not sufficiently chlorinated opens one to the risk of contracting amoebic meningoencephalitis, especially if one swims with head under water or dives into the pool, causing water to enter the nostrils

Health officials maintained that more cases were being reported as clinicians were specifically looking for amoeba in all cases of acute encephalitis syndrome with unknown etiology.

They said it was quite worrying that several cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis, especially due to Acanthamoeba, had been diagnosed in people with immunocompromising conditions such as cancer.

“Apart from the cases diagnosed in the district, we have cases from neighbouring States too, a couple of whom are cancer patients undergoing treatment in RCC. This year, the infection has been diagnosed in three patients from Tamil Nadu and one from Karnataka,” a senior health official said.