First batch of medicine for treat amoebic meningoencephalitis received by Kerala govt

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Monday received the first batch of a medicine, donated by a UAE-based entrepreneur, to treat the highly rare amoebic meningoencephalitis disease, six cases of which were recently detected in the state.

Two boys, aged 14 and 12, have recovered from the infection that has a 97 per cent mortality rate, two others are under treatment at a hospital in Kozikhode while three children have died in the last two months.

Only 11 people worldwide have recovered from amoebic meningoencephalitis, Kerala Health Minister Veena George had said on July 22 after the first patient -- the 14-year-old boy -- recovered from the disease.The medicine, given to the state government free-of-cost by UAE-based doctor-turned-entrepreneur and VPS Healthcare founder Shamsheer Vayalil, was imported from Germany. In a statement, issued by hospital group VPS Healthcare, George was quoted as saying, "When the cases were recently reported in Kerala, we consulted with the central government, and identified Miltefosine as a crucial drug. However, its availability in India is very limited." "Thanks to the support of Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil and VPS Healthcare, this essential medicine has been handed over to the (state) government," she said.

The extremely lethal central nervous system infection, amoebic meningoencephalitis is caused by free-living amoebae. This deadly infection is typically contracted from freshwater sources such as lakes, rivers, and streams.

The hospital group said the help was offered after six confirmed cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) were detected in the state.

George received the first shipment on Monday and it "contained a box of 56 medicines valued at Rs 3.19 lakh", according to the statement.

The second batch of Miltefosine is expected to arrive within the next few days, it said.

The statement said although the exact mechanism is not fully understood, Miltefosine effectively penetrates the blood-brain barrier and concentrates in the brain tissue, making it helpful in treating infections like PAM.

"Initially developed in the 1980s as an anti-cancer agent, Miltefosine is now the only recognised oral treatment for leishmaniasis, a disease spread by sandflies. The drug has also shown promise against rare but deadly free-living amoebae infections, such as PAM and granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE)," it said.

On July 5, a special meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led to instructions for molecular testing facilities to confirm the disease in its early stages.

On May 28, the health minister called a meeting to prepare treatment guidelines under expert leadership, resulting in the release of a treatment protocol for amoebic meningoencephalitis on July 20. This was the first comprehensive treatment protocol for the disease in the country, the state health department claimed.

The disease was earlier reported in coastal Alappuzha district in the state in 2023 and 2017.