Kozhikode, 11 Sep

The toll from amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and often fatal brain infection, rose further in the state with the death of a patient at Kozhikode Medical College on Thursday, health officials said.

Shaji, 47, from Chelambra in Malappuram district, is the sixth person to have succumbed to the so-called "brain-eating" infection in Kerala in the past month.

According to Medical College authorities, Shaji was admitted on 9 August.

His condition became critical and he died early on Thursday morning.

The body will be released after the required procedures are completed.

Authorities are yet to confirm how he contracted the infection, which is primarily caused by amoebae present in contaminated water.

At present, 10 patients are undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College for the infection.

On Monday, a 54-year-old woman from Vandoor in Malappuram district also died of the disease.

Health authorities have since launched a cleaning drive, including the chlorination of wells and ponds in the northern districts of the state, following frequent cases of "brain fever" reported since July, they added.