Killing 19 People, India Faces A Spike In Brain-eating Amoeba Cases

JAKARTA - India is currently facing a spike in the case of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a brain infection with a high mortality rate. This infection was caused by Naeglareia fowleri, known as a brain-eating amoeba.

Quoted from Reuters, on Friday, September 19, 2025, health authorities in Kerala, India, have recorded 69 confirmed PAM cases with 19 deaths. Most of the deaths were reported in recent weeks.

State Health Minister Bagis, capyana George, said that Kerala is facing serious challenges in public health. Previous infections related to clusters in districts such as Kozhikode and Maplappuram, have appeared sporadically in various regions.

"Unlike last year, we are currently not finding any clusters associated with a single water source. The emerging cases are single and separate, and this complicates our epidemiological investigation,"ORNA George said.

According to Kerala government documents, PAM attacks the central nervous system. This condition causes severe brain swelling, which can lead to death.

These infections damage brain tissue, cause severe brain swelling, and in most cases end in death. PAM is rare and usually occurs in children, adolescents, and previously healthy young adults," the document reads.

The document also discusses warm freshwater, especially inundated can be a medium for the spread of brain-eating amoeba. This makes people who swim, dive, or bathe in amoeba-contaminated waters at risk of infection.