An outbreak of rare, brain-damaging virus has left scores of children dead in India, and a deeper health crisis has emerged. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Three cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis this year, two of them fatal, caused some swimming holes and ponds to be closed to swimmers in recent months. That makes the state tally eight cases and two deaths so far in 2025.
What is PAM?
PAM is an almost universally fatal infection of the brain resulting from Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba that lives in warm freshwaters and soil. It’s commonly known as the “brain-eating amoeba.” Infection happens after contaminated water enters the body through the nose, from where the amoeba migrates to the brain. The illness is fast-acting, with symptoms including extreme headache, fever, nausea and a neurological decline.
Changing Transmission Understanding
Once associated with swimming in tepid fresh water, recent cases in Kerala, involving especially babies, indicate that exposure can be through infected dust or soil which gets soaked into the skin, even if the person does not drink the water.
Kerala's Higher Incidence, Better Outcome
India’s first PAM case was reported in 2016 Kerala. Cases have risen, in part because testing for encephalitis has also increased. In 2024, the state reported 36 positive cases and nine deaths. Although the global fatality rate of the disease stands at 97%, Denmark today has managed to bring down its mortality rate to 25% with its innovative protocols. Incidentally, the first Indian survivor is a 14 year old boy from Kozhikode in 2024.
Reasons for the Emergence and Kerala's Response
The increase is attributed to:
- Rampant testing for acute encephalitis syndrome (AES).
- Environmental factors such as climate change, producing a warmer environment conducive to amoeba growth.
Kerala has emerged as the first Indian state to devise a special treatment protocol and standard operating procedures for PAM, aimed at rapid molecular diagnosis
Month: Current Affairs - August 20, 2025
Category: current affairs daily