Particle.news
Download on the App Store
8 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Karnataka and Kerala Issue Health Warnings for Sabarimala Pilgrims Over 'Brain‑Eating' Amoeba

Officials say the amoeba infects only through water entering the nose, so early evaluation within a week of exposure is critical.

Image
Karnataka Warns Sabarimala Pilgrims, Brain Eating Amoeba Spike Makes Freshwater Dips Risky, Stick to Safe Pools Instead
Image
Image

Overview

  • Karnataka’s advisory urges pilgrims to use nose clips or keep nostrils closed during ritual baths and to seek care for fever, severe headache, vomiting, neck stiffness or confusion within seven days of water contact.
  • Guidance explains that Naegleria fowleri thrives in warm freshwater and soil, infects only via the nose, and does not spread person to person or through drinking contaminated water.
  • Kerala has deployed doctors and trained volunteers, activated a 24‑hour control centre at Pampa, and set up emergency centres, labs and operating theatres along the Pampa–Sannidhanam route with Konni Medical College as the base hospital.
  • Health officials caution against bathing in lakes and rivers and recommend treated or chlorinated water for cleansing rituals to lower exposure risk.
  • Pilgrim flows are intense, with nearly 200,000 arrivals within 48 hours of the temple’s opening and queues reportedly stretching up to 10 hours, while one outlet reported nearly 100 PAM cases this year in Kerala, including 19 deaths.