Why in the News?
Kerala’s health department has issued an alert in Kozhikode district after three consecutive cases of the rare and highly fatal disease Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) were reported.
About Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM):
- Cause: Rare and usually fatal infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, known as the “brain-eating amoeba.”
- Habitat: Thrives in warm freshwater up to 46°C (115°F).
- Entry: Enters through the nose during swimming or water activities, travels via olfactory nerve to the brain.
- Impact: Destroys brain tissue and causes severe swelling.
- Transmission: Not communicable from person to person.
- Symptoms: Headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, coma, and death.
- Progression: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most cases result in death within 1–18 days of symptom onset.
Diagnosis and Treatment:
- Diagnosis:
- Very difficult due to rarity.
- Confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
- Frequently misdiagnosed as bacterial or viral meningitis.
- Treatment:
- No single therapy effectively established.
- Managed per CDC guidelines using drug combinations such as: Medical interventions typically involve a combination of drugs, including amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, miltefosine, and dexamethasone.
| [UPSC 2008] Consider the following statements:
1. Femur is the longest bone in the human body. 2. Cholera is a disease caused by bacteria. 3. ‘Athlete’s foot’ is a disease caused by virus. Which of the statements given above are correct? Options: (a) 1 and 2 * (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
