Why is it in the News?

A five-year-old girl from Malappuram district in Kerala who had been undergoing treatment for amoebic meningoencephalitis at the Government Medical College Hospital Kozhikode has died.

What is the Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis?

• Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare brain infection that is caused by Naegleria fowleri.
  • It is a free-living amoeba or a single-celled living organism.
• Naegleria fowleri lives in warm fresh water and soil around the world and infects people when it enters the body through the nose.
• Higher temperatures of up to 115°F (46°C) are conducive to its growth and it can survive for short periods in warm environments.
  • The amoeba can be found in warm freshwater, such as lakes and rivers, swimming pools, splash pads, surf parks, or other recreational venues that are poorly maintained or minimally chlorinated.

How does Naegleria fowleri infect people?

• Naegleria fowleri enters the body through the nose, usually when people are swimming. It then travels up to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue and causes swelling.
• Notably, people cannot get infected with Naegleria fowleri from drinking water contaminated with the amoeba.
• PAM is also non-communicable.

Symptoms of PAM:

• In the initial stage, the symptoms include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting.
• Later on, the patient may have a stiff neck and experience confusion, seizures, hallucinations and slip into a state of coma.
• According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Most people with PAM die within 1 to 18 days after symptoms begin.
• It usually leads to coma and death after 5 days.”

What is the treatment for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis?

• As earlier reported, scientists haven’t been able to identify any effective treatments for the disease yet.
• At present, doctors treat it with a combination of drugs, including amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, miltefosine, and dexamethasone.