Kerala has reported seven deaths from amoebic meningoencephalitis in September, taking the total number of casualties from the rare and often fatal brain infection to 17 this year.
The statistics, which revealed that 67 people had been infected by the disease so far, come at a time the state health ministry is gloating over the low infant mortality rate.
The infection is caused by free-living amoebae found in rivers, lakes and ponds. Symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and seizures.
The state government has stepped up preventive measures, including chlorination of wells and water tanks across hospitals, school and college hostels, educational institutions and homes.
A 17-year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. The swimming pool at the state government-run Akkulam Tourist Village was closed down soon after the news broke.
“The state government has decided to start a paracytology department in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode medical colleges. But we still lack tools and technical backup to diagnose this disease,” Dr Althaf Ali, professor of community medicine in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, said.