Miscellaneous

Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection

July 10 , 2024 8 days 231 0

Four cases of the rare but fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) reported in Kerala.
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis or PAM is caused by Naegleria fowler.
This amoeba thrives in warm freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers.
It can also survive in poorly maintained swimming pools in rare cases.
The amoeba enters the body through the nose and reaches the brain.
As it can infect the brain and destroy the tissues there, this one-celled organism is also called ‘brain-eating amoeba’.
These infections, though rare, are fatal and 97% of the patients don’t survive.