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New Delhi: Beware! pilgrims heading Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. The Karnataka government has issued an urgent health advisory for pilgrims going to Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. The advisory was issued in the wake of a recent surge in amoebic meningoencephalitis (AME), a rare but typically fatal brain infection. There are many pilgrims from Karnataka who visit Sabarimala shrine.
Amoebic meningoencephalitis (AME) is an acute infection of the brain and its surrounding tissues. It is caused by certain free-living amoebae, most notorious among them is Naegleria fowleri -- the “brain-eating amoeba”. The infection could be fatal.
The amoeba is mostly found in warm freshwater including lakes, rivers, ponds, hot springs, ill-maintained swimming pools, and contaminated water sources. When this water enters the body, it causes infection. The symptoms include severe headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, stiff neck, seizures, unusual changes in behaviour and mental clarity. Initial symptoms are similar to meningitis, and therefore, early detection is difficult. It progresses very fast and the fatality rate due to the infection is quite high.
The Commissioner of the Health and Family Welfare Department released the advisory. It warned that devotees heading to Sabarimala temple were at risk. The danger was posed by Naegleria fowleri, a highly toxic, free-living amoeba found in warm, freshwater, it underlined.
According to the advisory, this organism grows essentially in stagnant or untreated water such as ponds, lakes, puddles, and even moist soil. The infection doesn’t spread from person to person, nor does it occur from drinking contaminated water. Rather, it enters the body only through the nose, then moves to the brain, causing severe swelling and infection. As many pilgrims participate in rituals that involve bathing or immersing themselves in natural water bodies, authorities have asked them to be extra cautious.
To stay safe, the government has advised all pilgrims to wear nose clips or keep their noses tightly shut while taking a bath in stagnant water or natural ponds during the visit. This will prevent water from entering the nasal passage — the only known route through which the amoeba can reach the brain.
The health department has also advised pilgrims to watch out for early symptoms of AME, which typically appear within a week of being exposed to contaminated water.
If symptoms appear, devotees should not ignore them under any circumstances. The advisory underlined that anyone showing such signs must visit the nearest hospital for medical care without any delay.
