Amoebic Encephalitis leads to another death at Kozhikode Medical College
Sep 01, 2025
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 1 : A three-month-old baby infected with amoebic encephalitis died on Sunday at the Kozhikode Medical College. The deceased was the son of Abubacker Siddique, a native of Omassery, Kozhikode
The deceased was undergoing treatment for the past month. Amoebic encephalitis cases were reported in Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts.
According to a report issued by the state government last week, 41 cases of amoebic encephalitis have been reported this year.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Veena George chaired a high-level meeting and decided to clean the state's water bodies. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also requested local self-government authorities to strengthen their preventive measures.
The state government had launched the "Water is life" (Jalamanu Jeevan) campaign to prevent waterborne diseases. This program involves the Health Department, the Local Self-Government Department, the General Education Department, and the Haritha Keralam Mission, among others.
The "Water is Life" campaign was launched under the leadership of the Haritha Keralam Mission. In line with this, activities should be undertaken to chlorinate all the wells in the state and clean the water tanks in homes and institutions on August 30 and 31.
This has been proven effective in preventing waterborne diseases, including amoebic encephalitis. It should be ensured that all wells in the local government area are chlorinated and that all water tanks are cleaned.
Additionally, awareness activities targeting schools and follow-up initiatives, such as cleaning the local water sources, should be implemented.
Studies show that this amoeba is present in wells and uncleaned water tanks in addition to polluted ponds and rivers. The Waste-Free New Kerala campaign, which aims to make Kerala the cleanest state in the country, has made exemplary progress.
The Chief Minister also requested that the governing body have active leadership to plan campaign activities accurately and implement them in a timely and effective manner.
