Kozhikode (Kerala): A 56-year-old woman from Malappuram district, here, has succumbed to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis -- a rare and often-fatal brain infection --, health authorities confirmed on Monday. 

Her death has pushed the toll from the deadly brain-eating amoebic infection to five in a span of just one month, deepening concern across the state health authorities.

The deceased, identified as M Shobhana, a resident of Wandoor in Malappuram, had been in a critical and unconscious condition ever since she was admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH) here last Thursday, according to a local media report.

Health officials stated that she had been suffering from symptoms consistent with the infection, which rapidly progressed despite intensive medical care.

Last week, a 45-year-old man from the neighbouring Wayanad district, Rathesh, who had been under treatment at KMCH here for over a week, succumbed to the brain infection.

Health department data indicate that the disease has claimed five lives in one month, including a three-month-old infant and a nine-year-old girl from Thamarassery in Kozhikode district during this period.

The most affected districts reportedly are Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Wayanad, which have collectively recorded 42 confirmed cases this year.

In response to the rising number of infections, the Kerala Health Department has invoked the State Public Health Act to intensify preventive measures.

The department has initiated a state-wide water purification drive, urging local bodies to clean wells, water tanks, and other public water bodies. They also banned swimming in untreated or stagnant water sources in the most affected regions.

Following the surge in infections in Kerala, especially in the northern part of the state, the health officials issued a public advisory, stressing that early diagnosis is key and that symptoms such as fever, severe headache, and vomiting following exposure to freshwater should prompt swift medical care.

Amoebic encephalitis is a rare but fatal central nervous system infection caused by free-living amoebae, Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba, found in freshwater lakes and rivers.

It can enter the body through the nose during swimming, bathing, or nasal rinsing and move rapidly to the brain, where it causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.

(IANS)