Kozhikode: The tragedy surrounding amoebic meningoencephalitis in the region deepens as the seven-year-old brother of a nine-year-old girl who recently died from the infection has also tested positive for the disease. Hospital officials confirmed that the boy has begun treatment at Kozhikode Medical College and his condition is currently stable. He had reportedly bathed in a nearby pond, raising concerns about contaminated water sources.
With his diagnosis, the number of patients receiving treatment for amoebic meningoencephalitis at Kozhikode Medical College has risen to four. Among them is an eleven-year-old child from Chenakkalangadi in Malappuram, who was admitted yesterday with a fever. The infection was confirmed after fluid tests conducted in the hospital’s microbiology lab. Authorities have launched an investigation to trace the source of contaminated water responsible for this case. The child had been bathing in a canal near his home as well as in a pool next to a turf ground in Kayanna, Kozhikode. The health department plans to test water samples from both locations.
Among the patients currently at Kozhikode Medical College is a critically ill three-month-old baby from Omassery, who remains on a ventilator. Additionally, the condition of a 49-year-old man from Annassery, also diagnosed with the disease, remains unchanged.
In response to these alarming developments, the Community Medicine Department of Kozhikode Medical College has conducted a thorough inspection of the home and surroundings of Anaya, the fourth-grade student from Thamarassery who succumbed to amoebic meningoencephalitis. The medical team will extend these inspections to other areas within the district where cases have been reported, aiming to identify and control the source of infection.
