Rapid Fire
Brain-Eating Amoeba
- 03 Sep 2025
- 1 min read
Kerala has reported several cases of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a brain infection caused by “brain-eating amoeba”.
Brain-Eating Amoeba
- About: PAM is a rare and often fatal brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri amoeba or brain-eating amoeba, found in contaminated warm, freshwater sources like wells and ponds.
- Transmission: Naegleria fowleri enters the body through the nose during swimming or bathing in contaminated freshwater, travels to the brain, causing tissue destruction and swelling.
- It is not transmitted through drinking water or person-to-person.
- Symptoms: Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, progressing to stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and coma.
- Mortality is extremely high (>95%), with most patients dying within 1–18 days, often within 5 days of onset.
- Treatment: No effective treatment available, currently combination of drugs including amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, and others are recommended to manage the infection.
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Read More: Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis |
