Council displayed to create awareness of the amoebic meningoencephalitis seen on the way to the pond in the village of Navaikula in Thiruvananthapuram. File | Photo Credit: Hind
The Health Department referred to the Public Health Act in Kerala from 2023 at the commencement of preventive and control measures against amoebic meningoencephalitis, which now appears as a new problem of public health on the state.
AMoebic meningoencephalitis is now a problem of public health because it appears that all water points – wells, ponds, channels, pools or pools in centers and water amusement parks – could be a potential source of amoebic infections for people who use them.
The government, which realized this new threat to public health, announced a mass nationwide campaign on local authorities, health and water resources and Harith Keral missions to clean and chlorot all wells, swimming pools and huge water reservoirs.
Ponds and other water bodies that people usually use for bathing must also be cleaned of all algae and waste, and all channels carrying waste or contaminants must be closed to these bodies.
On Wednesday (August 27, 2025), The Director of Health Services, KJ Reena, Who Is the State Public Health Officer, Thus Found It Necessary to Invoke Varous Provisions of the Kerala Public Health Act Public Swimming Pools, Pools in Resorts, Hotels, Water Theme Parks and Apartments Clean and the Water Chlorinated to Sufficient Levels.
Dr. Reena issued orders according to sections 7 (10) (b) and 10 (c) of the Kerala PH 2023 Act that the management of all centers, hotels, entertainment parks and training centers for swimming is chlorinating the water of the pool daily. They should check chlorine levels daily, which should be recorded in a special register.
These registers will have to be kept safe and manufactured whenever some authorized officials who are sent to the Secretary of Panchayat or the regional public health official concerned require the same.
Infringement of these instructions causes serious legal measures under the Public Health Act in Kerala
So far, 41 cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis have been reported in the state this year, with 18 active cases in hospitals. The state picked up almost every case of amoebic encephalitis after the Ministry of Health issued a directive last year to all clinical doctors, that the samples of cerebrospinal fluid of all patients who thought they had meningitis will also be tested for amoebic brain infection.
So far, it has been believed that only people who use local ponds and canals for swimming or swimming were prone to amoebic meningoencephalitis.
Although it has always been known that wild amoeba such as accanthamoeba and Balamuthia are widely present in the environment, it was a recent crop of amém’s infections in people who used only household water that pointed out the gloomy facts that water formations in the state could pose a public health threat.
DHS ordered that any channels of wastewater be removed immediately that in the state in the state in the state in the state. It should be strictly prevented from disposing of solid waste in water bodies.
All official agencies involved in water supply and distribution, such as Kerala and Jalanidhi, should ensure that residual chlorine levels in water distribution systems are maintained at 0.5 mg/liter everywhere.
All regional public health officials and authorized officials were ordered to ensure that cleaning and chloration activities take place regularly and take legal measures within KPHA against those who do not comply with directives issued in the interest of public health.
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Published – August 27 2025 22:22 is
