Kerala Battles Brain-eating Amoeba: Sixth Fatality This Month

Kerala witnessed another fatality due to amoebic meningoencephalitis on Thursday, September 11, 2025, marking the sixth death from the infection in a month. Shaji, 49, a resident of Chelembra in Malappuram, succumbed to the disease at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Kozhikode, where he had been undergoing treatment for over a week. The source of the infection remains unclear.

Currently, nine patients are receiving treatment for amoebic meningoencephalitis at Kozhikode MCH, while another patient who tested positive on September 10 is being treated at a private hospital in Kozhikode city.

Since August 14, the infection has claimed the lives of several individuals, including Anaya, a resident of Thamarassery; a three-month-old child from Omassery, both in Kozhikode; Ratheesh from Wayanad; and Shobhana from Wandoor in Malappuram. All deaths occurred in less than a month, highlighting the severity of this rare but deadly disease.

On a positive note, two children undergoing treatment for the infection were discharged from Kozhikode MCH on September 8 after recovering successfully.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis is a rare but often fatal brain infection caused by free-living amoebae, typically found in freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers, and ponds. Health officials have raised concerns over its emergence as a significant public health issue in Kerala.