Malappuram, Sept. 11 -- A resident of Kerala's Malappuram district died on Thursday from amoebic meningoencephalitis, bringing the district's death toll from the disease to five, officials said.

Shaji, 49, a resident of Chelembra in Malappuram, died at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Kozhikode. He had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for over a week. The source of the infection is still unclear.

Malappuram District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr R Renuka said that 17 cases and five deaths were reported in the district due to amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare but fatal brain infection caused by free-living amoebae found in freshwater, lakes and rivers.

An official meeting was held in the Wandoor block of the distri...