Amid growing allegations of an attempted cover-up, the Kerala Health Department has revised the official figures on amoebic meningoencephalitis cases and deaths published on its website.
Initial Data Raised Questions
Until September 10, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) portal reported 42 suspected cases and 18 confirmed cases in 2025. The department listed only two confirmed deaths and 14 suspected deaths. September alone accounted for 11 suspected cases, five suspected deaths, two confirmed cases, and one confirmed death.
As reported by The Hindu, the portal also carried a note clarifying that the figures were “based on preliminary reports and are liable to change after lab tests and death audits.” It further mentioned that two cases in Thiruvananthapuram were “cross-notified” to Tamil Nadu and one in Kannur to Karnataka.
However, media reports indicated that at least five people had died in Kozhikode alone within a month since August 14. This apparent mismatch between ground reports and official data fueled allegations that the department was concealing the true extent of the outbreak.
Revised Figures Released
On September 11, the department removed all references to “suspected” cases and deaths from its website. It reported 64 confirmed cases and 17 deaths this year, including 17 confirmed cases and seven deaths in September. A note stated that all 64 cases were microscopically confirmed, with 20 confirmed through PCR testing.
The next day, September 12, the department updated the figures again, reporting 66 confirmed cases and 17 deaths so far this year. The numbers for September rose to 19 confirmed cases and seven deaths.
Testing and Confirmation Protocol
According to the department’s treatment protocol, doctors collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients showing symptoms such as headache, fever, stiff neck, or delirium. They first conduct a microscopic analysis to check for free-living amoebae. If detected, treatment for amoebic meningoencephalitis begins immediately.
The samples are then sent to the State Public Health Laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which detects DNA or RNA specific to the pathogen to confirm its species. Official confirmation is issued only after PCR results.
Challenges in Diagnosis
Sources revealed that transit sometimes damages samples when storing them at low temperatures for too long, producing inconclusive PCR results. Authorities list such cases as “suspected,” which adds to the confusion over the actual number of infections and deaths.