30.07.2024 19:01
A child in India contracted a disease known as brain-eating amoeba. The child, who was admitted to the hospital for treatment, began to recover three days after being diagnosed with the disease, which has a death rate of 97% and only 8 people have survived in 52 years. The child's recovery was influenced by the information his father read on social media.
A child in India has become one of the rare individuals to survive Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), caused by the brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri.
According to BBC, 14-year-old Afnan Jasim complained of seizures and severe headaches after swimming in a pond in the Kozhikode region of the Kerala state in June. Jasim's father, MK Siddiqui, took his son to the hospital, suspecting symptoms similar to those caused by the Nipah virus, a viral infection that can lead to illness in both animals and humans.
RECOVERY BEGAN WITHIN 3 DAYS OF CONTRACTING THE DEADLY DISEASE
Dr. Abdul Rauf, one of the doctors at the third hospital they visited, diagnosed Jasim with PAM, caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Rauf stated that they made the diagnosis within 24 hours and mentioned that the amoeba was likely contracted by Jasim from the pond he swam in.
Rauf explained that they started treating the disease with anti-amoebic drugs after the diagnosis. He said, "Our patient was not in a good condition on the first day due to seizures. Afnan started recovering within 3 days."
Rauf emphasized that they determined that the amoeba was no longer present in Jasim's body after a week, and explained that Jasim would continue to take medication for a month. Thus, Jasim from India became one of the rare individuals to survive PAM caused by the brain-eating amoeba.
Rauf stated that the brain-eating amoeba is usually found in freshwater lakes, especially in warm waters. He said, "People should not dive directly into the water because the amoeba can easily enter the body this way. If the water is dirty, the amoeba enters the body through the nasal passage." Rauf emphasized that one should avoid swimming in dirty water to prevent the disease.
FATHER SAVED HIS SON'S LIFE THROUGH INFORMATION HE READ ON SOCIAL MEDIA
MK Siddiqui, Afnan's father, noticed his son's illness thanks to an awareness campaign he read about on social media. Siddiqui mentioned that he came across information about the deadly brain-eating amoeba while reading about a child's death from the Nipah virus in Kerala on social media. He said, "I read that seizures could occur due to the infection. When Afnan started having seizures, I immediately took him to the local hospital."
DEATH RATE FROM THE BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA IS 97%
The disease caused by the brain-eating amoeba, PAM, is known to have a death rate of 97% for those affected. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1971 to 2023, only 8 people in Australia, the United States, Mexico, and Pakistan have survived the disease. Early diagnosis is emphasized as crucial in the treatment of the disease.