The Health and Family Welfare Department (H&FWD) of Kerala on June 20, 2024, issued the Technical Guidelines on Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Amoebic Meningoencephalitis.
The following has been stated namely: -
• Amoebic encephalitis is a rare but lethal central nervous system infection caused by free-living amoebae like Naegleria fowleri which presents as either primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) or granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), with symptoms resembling meningitis or brain abscesses, and is highly lethal with few survivors globally.
• The life cycle of N. fowleri consists of 3 stages: trophozoite, a temporary flagellar stage known as amebo-flagellate, and cyst.
• Naegleria fowleri is a trophozoite stage in humans is infective and found in CSF or tissue, transforming into a flagellate for water dispersion, and under harsh conditions, it encysts to survive cold and nutrient scarcity.
• Preventive measures against primary amoebic meningoencephalitis include avoiding stagnant freshwater diving, using nose plugs or pinching the nose when necessary, keeping the head above water in untreated thermal bodies, avoiding sediment disturbance, using sterile water for nasal irrigation, daily emptying of wading pools, and maintaining clean, chlorinated swimming areas while keeping hoses away from noses.
Kindly refer to the attached document for detailed notification.
[Notification no. - G.O.(Rt)No.1760/2024/H&FWD]
