NEW DELHI, Sept. 29 -- The central government has asked Kerala authorities to step up monitoring after the state reported a surge in cases of a rare brain-eating amoeba. According to Kerala health minister Veena George, the state has recorded 80 cases and 21 deaths so far in 2025.

The first case of the amoeba (Naegleria fowleri) in Kerala was reported in 2016, but the state has seen a sharp rise in infections in recent years. After two fatal cases in 2023, Kerala reported 36 cases with nine deaths in 2024-culminating in this year's record surge.

At a meeting with state health officials last week, the Centre emphasized the need for heightened surveillance and wider testing of samples, two officials familiar with the matter said.

The dis...