Kerala girl dies of rare brain-eating amoeba infection
A nine-year-old girl from Thamarassery, Kerala, has sadly passed away after catching a rare and deadly infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba.
She was admitted with a fever on August 13, then moved to Kozhikode Medical College on August 14, where she died the same day and tests confirmed the cause.
This is believed to be the fourth PAM case in Kozhikode district this year.
Officials are investigating local freshwater spots
Officials are now looking into local freshwater spots—like ponds or lakes—where she might have picked up the infection.
They're also checking in with others who recently swam there.
PAM is extremely rare but can be fatal if not caught early, mostly affecting kids and young adults who swim in warm freshwater.
PAM cases in Kerala
While the global death rate for PAM is about 97%, Kerala's quick diagnosis and treatment have brought it down to around 26%.
The risk goes up during summer when water levels drop and temperatures rise.