New Delhi, Feb. 25 -- Five-year-old Rahul's (name changed) symptoms with complaints of persistent headache, fever, and irritability initially seemed innocuous, akin to common childhood ailments. However, upon examination, doctors diagnosed him with life-threatening eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EM), a snail-borne pathogen.
A study spanning 14 years by doctors from Kochi-based Amrita Hospital doctors reveals that more than half of the examined children with EM reporting from South India had a history of direct contact with snails. The study findings underscore the urgency for healthcare professionals, parents, and policymakers to address this emerging threat.
"We are now picking up a higher number of EM among children in this region es...