Second death due to 'Brain-Eating Amoeba' in Kerala: 13-year-old Kozhikode girl died after taking bath in swimming pool

Kozhikode: The -13-year-old girl who died in Kozhikode on June 12, suffered from Amoebic Meningoencephalitis also known as Amoebic Meningitis, a rare disease, the doctors confirmed  after Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and the test revealed the presence of amoeba in her body.

The disease spread through water.

According to reports, the victim Dakshina (13), daughter of Raghesh Babu and Dhanya of Thottada in Kannur district went on a study tour organised by the school on January 28 along with other students and took a bath in a swimming pool in Munnar.

Normally when amoeba enters a person's body, symptoms appear within five days, but in Dakshina's case, symptoms showed three and half months, after bathing in a swimming pool at Munnar in Idukki district.

The girl showed symptoms of severe headache and vomiting on May 8 and was admitted to a MIMS Hospital at Chala in Kannur. Later she was shifted to a Baby Memorial Hospital (BMH) in Kozhikode where she died, while undergoing treatment on June 12.

Samples taken from swelling near the spinal cord revealed the presence of amoebic trophozoites.

Dr Abdul Rauf, Head of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of BMH stressed the need for expert analysis to understand various aspects of the Pathogen, including the incubation period, due to the exceptional nature of this case. He said chlorination of water sources including swimming pools where amoeba thrives, plays a crucial role in prevention.

The amoeba enters the nasal passage, allowing it to migrate to the brain, causing inflammation, cerebral edema, and potentially fatal complications within days, he added.

Last month a similar case of death was reported, in which a 5-year-old girl, Fadwa, daughter of Hassankutty and Fasna of Malappuram died due to amoebic meningitis after she took a bath in the Kadalundi river near her house along with family members.