THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The condition of a 17-year-old boy undergoing treatment for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital remains the same.

Health officials suspect the boy contracted the rare brain infection while swimming in a public pool in Akkulam. Following the incident, the health department directed the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) to ensure the pool is regularly maintained with fresh water, chlorine levels are kept at 1 ppm (parts per million), and that pH — a scale of how acidic an object is — is maintained at 7, which is neutral.

The boy, a resident of Poovar, used the pool on August 16 and developed a fever two days later. He was initially treated at private hospitals in Kanjiramkulam, Neyyattinkara, and Chackai, where a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test confirmed PAM.

He was then shifted to the MCH for administration of miltefosine, the key drug used in PAM treatment.

There are currently nine active PAM cases in the district.

“The boy had a history of migraine. Five other children also used the pool with him, but none have shown symptoms. We are monitoring them closely,” a health official said. PCR testing for PAM is now being conducted for all encephalitis cases. Results of the public pool samples are expected by Tuesday.

DTPC officials said the swimming pool, used daily by around 25-40 people, is regularly maintained.

“We’ve had no reported issues in 30 years. The pool is chlorinated every Monday,” an official said. The pool is also used by personnel of the Southern Air Command, which shares the premises with the adjoining park.

In light of the recent spike in PAM cases, the Directorate of Health Services issued an advisory on August 27, warning against bathing in stagnant waterbodies. So far, the state has reported 66 PAM cases and 17 deaths.

17 lives

lost to amoebic meningoencephalitis in the last nine

months in the state. Seven deaths in September alone

Mortality rate

Kerala 24%

Global 97%