Kozhikode: A fresh case of amoebic meningoencephalitis, commonly known as ‘brain eater,’ has been reported in the district. The four-year-old boy, diagnosed with the infection, is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode.

Hospital authorities said that he is being treated with miltefosine, a medication sourced from Germany. “Thanks to timely medical intervention, he has overcome the critical stage of the illness,” officials added.

Currently, two other children are also being treated for amoebic meningoencephalitis in Kozhikode district. Among them, a three-year-old boy from Kannur remains on a ventilator.

Recently, 14-year-old Afnan Jasim, a native of Payyoli in Kannur, made headlines by surviving the infection, becoming the first recovery case in India.
Read: Brain-eating amoeba infection in Kerala: Prevention, symptoms and treatment

Meanwhile, three children -- Mridul (12) of Feroke, Dakshina (13) of Kannur and Fadwa (5) of Malappuram -- have died of amoebic meningoencephalitis this year in Kerala.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis is caused by a free-living amoeba, a tiny organism, which lives in warm freshwater bodies. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it enters the human body through the nose or a damaged eardrum and can travel to the brain, causing deadly infection within a short time. It is not visible to the naked eye; you can only see it under a microscope. Therefore, it is also difficult to locate.