Brain-Eating Amoeba Claims Third Victim In Kerala: How To Prevent Infection

People infected usually fall into a coma and die about five days after symptoms start, the health agency said.

A 14-year-old boy in Kerala's Kozhikode has died from a rare brain infection. The boy, Mridul, contracted the Naegleria fowleri infection caused by a free-living amoeba after swimming in a contaminated pond, reported news agency PTI.

This marks the third such fatality in Kerala since May 21, when a 5-year-old girl from Malappuram died of the infection. Shortly after, a 13-year-old girl from Kannur also contracted the infection and died on June 25.

What is Naegleria fowleri?