Afnan Jasim, 14, was taken to hospital in June after suffering a seizure and severe headache while swimming in a pond in Kozhikode district of Kerala state. Jasim’s father, MK Siddiqui, liked his son’s symptoms to the Nipah virus and immediately went to the hospital.
At the third hospital they were taken to, doctor Abdul Rauf diagnosed Jasim as having PAM, a disease caused by Naegleria fowleri, also known as the “brain-eating amoeba.” Jasim was diagnosed quickly and given treatment, and his condition began to improve within three days.
Rauf said in his statement that Naegleria fowleri may have spread to the young man’s body from the pond he swam in. After the disease was diagnosed, Jasim’s treatment continued with antimicrobial drugs.
PAM, caused by a brain-eating amoeba, is a disease with a high mortality rate, and it is stated that early diagnosis is vital in treatment. Rauf emphasized that early diagnosis and rapid intervention were effective in Jasim’s recovery, saying, “Our patient was not very conscious on the first day due to seizures. Afnan started to recover within 3 days.”
| Illness | Death rate |
|---|---|
| PAM (Brain-Eating Amoeba Disease) | 97 percent |
It was reported that Jasim will continue to take medication for 1 month during the treatment process. Rauf stated that protection from the brain-eating amoeba is possible by not entering dirty water, and drew attention to the importance of protection from the disease.
The brain-eating amoeba is usually found in freshwater lakes, especially warm waters, and can easily be transmitted to humans through water. The cleanliness of water sources and personal hygiene are of great importance in combating Naegleria fowleri infection.
