Kerala to Initiate Research on Rising Cases of Brain-Eating Amoeba
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Recent cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis have been reported in Kerala. In response, Health Minister Veena George has announced that the state will initiate research on amoebic encephalitis and develop an action plan to address the issue.
According to a PTI report, the Kerala Health Department organized a technical workshop as the first step, featuring participation from experts both within the state and from institutions such as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Indian Association of Virology (IAV), Pondicherry EV Institute, Indian Institute of Science, and the Pollution Control Board.
Health Minister Veena George inaugurated the workshop, announcing that Kerala will embark on research into amoebic meningoencephalitis.
“This will be the first such effort at the global level. When a cluster was formed in Thiruvananthapuram, we were able to detect the first case and subsequently identify other infected individuals. All of them are recovering,” the minister said.
Health Minister Veena George said the Health Department has decided to find out why cases are increasing in the state.
“Based on this, we have decided to launch research activities in collaboration with expert organisations like Indian Council of Medical Research and the Indian Institute of Science,” the minister said, news agency PTI reported.
In an official statement, the Health Department noted that workshop participants commended Kerala’s efforts. According to their assessment, the state’s proactive measures successfully identified rare diseases such as amoebic meningoencephalitis at an early stage, helping to save some individuals from a condition with a 97 per cent mortality rate.
The team expressed full support for Kerala’s initiatives to combat amoebic meningoencephalitis. Globally, only 11 people have recovered from this illness, and in 2024, Kerala reported 19 cases, including five fatalities.
“Kerala has managed to increase the recovery rate. So far, four people in the state have recovered. All those who contracted the disease in Kerala had contact with contaminated water, either directly or indirectly,” the Minister said.
To determine why only some people who used the same water source contracted the disease, a case-control study will be conducted with the help of Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Epidemiology, it said.
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