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Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare brain infection, has claimed five lives in Kerala since August 2025. A 56-year-old woman identified as M Sobhana, died after contracting the disease on Monday, September 8. Sobhana, a resident of Wandoor, Malappuram was brought to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on September 4 after her condition became critical.
Sobhana had been unconscious since being admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. All the water sources used by her are currently being tested. Currently, 10 people are undergoing treatment for Amoebic Encephalitis in Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. Out of them, two patients, one from Malappuram and one from Kasaragod, are in a critical condition. The rest are also from the northern parts of Kerala.
Ratheesh, 45, a resident of Bathery in Wayanad district, had died on Saturday, September 6.
In Kerala, Naegleria fowleri is considered the major cause of PAM. This amoeba which is found in stagnant water bodies gets into the body through a plate that separates the nose and the brain, thus affecting the brain. This rare amoeba thrives on warm water and is increasingly found in water bodies due to global warming, ecological issues and unclean surroundings. Kerala State Health Department is focusing on spreading awareness and environmental surveillance about this disease.
In August, PAM claimed the lives of a 9-year-old girl, a three-month-old boy, both Kozhikode natives, and a 52-year-old woman from Malappuram. All of them were undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.