A 26-year-old nurse from Ambalapuzha in Alappuzha district, Kerala, has succumbed to amoebic meningoencephalitis at the Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital. The deceased, identified as Aryamol, was the daughter of Vijayan and Ambili from Neerkunnam Kalathil in the 19th ward of Ambalapuzha North panchayat. She passed away on Friday after battling the rare and often fatal brain infection.
Timeline of Illness
Aryamol had returned home two months ago after resigning from her job in Bangalore, with plans to work abroad. Approximately one month ago, she began showing symptoms of the infection and sought treatment at the Alappuzha medical college hospital. She was initially discharged, but the symptoms soon reappeared. She then underwent treatment for about a week at a private hospital in Parumala. As her condition deteriorated, she was transferred to the Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator. She passed away on Friday morning.
Family Background
Aryamol was the sole breadwinner for her family, which belongs to the fishers' community. Her father, mother, and two sisters, Surya and Revathi, survive her. The funeral was held at her residence.
Amoebic meningoencephalitis is a severe and rare infection of the brain caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, typically found in warm freshwater. The infection is almost always fatal, with only a handful of survivors reported worldwide.
