Overview

• Kozhikode’s health department issued the alert after lab confirmation that a nine-year-old died of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, with three recent cases reported in the district.
• A three-month-old baby and a 40-year-old man remain in intensive care at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.
• Health teams are tracing potential freshwater sources linked to exposure, and local reports say the amoeba was detected in a water source next to the infant patient’s home.
• Authorities urge residents to avoid stagnant warm freshwater, use nose clips when swimming, ensure proper chlorination of pools and wells, and use sterile or boiled water for nasal rinsing.
• Kerala has expanded protocols after a surge since 2023—when 36 cases and nine deaths were recorded—with eight cases and two deaths reported statewide so far this year.