Kerala girl dies of amoebic encephalitis; amoeba found in well water at home

A Thamarassery girl, admitted with fever on August 13, was moved to Kozhikode Medical College on August 14 and died the same day as her condition worsened.

Health officials said on Tuesday that an amoeba was found in the well water at the residence of a nine-year-old girl who died last week due to amoebic encephalitis, a rare brain infection, in this north Kerala district.

A test carried out at the microbiology lab of the medical college revealed on August 15 night that the cause of her death was amoebic encephalitis. (Pic used for representation)

A senior health official of the district said that following the detection of the amoeba, a fever survey was carried out among all those who used the water from the well.

Following the survey, the deceased girl's brother is presently under observation as he had a fever.

However, he has not shown any other symptoms associated with the brain infection, caused by a free-living amoeba found in contaminated waters, the official said.

The girl, a resident of Thamarassery here, was admitted to a hospital due to fever on August 13, but as her condition worsened quickly, she was shifted to the Kozhikode medical college on August 14 where she died the same day.

A test carried out at the microbiology lab of the medical college revealed on August 15 night that the cause of her death was amoebic encephalitis.

It was probably the fourth case of the rare brain infection reported from the district this year, according to health officials.

Caused by free-living amoeba, amoebic encephalitis is a deadly infection that is typically contracted from freshwater sources such as lakes, rivers, and streams.