Overview
- Health minister Veena George put the 2025 tally at 69 cases with 19 deaths and said there are no clusters this year after cluster-linked cases in 2024.
- State and clinical analyses indicate that only 11 of roughly 100-plus cases detected across 2024–2025 were due to Naegleria fowleri, with most linked to Acanthamoeba and other free‑living amoebae.
- Kerala expanded meningoencephalitis surveillance after 2023, speeding CSF microscopy and PCR to cut molecular confirmation from weeks to two days and lowering recent mortality to about 24–25%.
- Authorities launched chlorination drives for wells, enforced residual chlorine in pools and water parks under the Public Health Act, and adopted a One Health plan for prevention and rapid treatment.
- Public messaging is under scrutiny as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor urged people to avoid freshwater, while clinicians warn against misinformation and note many patients are immunocompromised.