Kerala reports sixth death from rare brain-eating infection as 10 patients remain under treatment

KOZHIKODE: The toll from amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and often fatal brain infection, rose further in the state with the death of a patient at Kozhikode Medical College on Thursday, health officials said. Shaji (47), from Chelambra in Malappuram district, is the sixth person to have succumbed to the so-called rain-eating infection in Kerala in the past month. According to Medical College authorities, Shaji was admitted on August 9. His condition became critical and he died early on Thursday morning. The body will be released after the required procedures are completed. Authorities are yet to confirm how he contracted the infection, which is primarily caused by amoebae present in contaminated water. At present, 10 patients are undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College for the infection. On Monday, a 54-year-old woman from Vandoor in Malappuram district also died of the disease. Health authorities have since launched a cleaning drive, including the chlorination of wells and ponds in the northern districts of the state, following frequent cases of rain fever reported since July, they added. Kerala reports 11th case of amoebic brain infection as 10-year-old boy from Malappuram tests positive