Kerala News: Third case of death due to amoebic meningoencephalitis A 14-year-old boy, who was undergoing treatment for amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare brain infection caused by free-living amoeba found in contaminated water, died at a private hospital here. Mridul died at 11:20 pm on Wednesday, the Kerala state health department said on Thursday. This is the third case of the fatal infection reported in the southern state since May. The first case was the death of a five-year-old girl from Malappuram on May 21 and the second was a 13-year-old girl from Kannur who died on June 25. According to health department sources, the boy had bathed in a small pond in the area and preventive measures were being taken. Medical experts said the infection occurs when free-living, non-parasitic amoeba bacteria enter the body through the nose from contaminated water. Health officials have advised the population to take precautions against amoebic meningoencephalitis. The disease was previously reported in the state’s coastal Alappuzha district in 2023 and 2017.
