The outbreak of amoebic meningoencephalitis in Kerala: A wake-up call

The outbreak of amoebic meningoencephalitis in Kerala: A wake-up call Kerala, a South Indian State, has been witnessing a marked rise in suspected/confirmed severe central nervous system (CNS) infections caused by freeliving amoebae (FLA) during 2024-2025 with reports indicating a total of 129 cases and 26 deaths as of October 18, 2025 1 .Districts like Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Malappuram are particularly affected.These infections are being increasingly reported and are associated with high mortality.This unusual rise in cases has prompted the State government to rapidly expand testing capacity for early diagnosis and institution of aggressive therapy 1 .