Health authorities warn people with head injuries to avoid public waterbodies

Health officials have warned people with head injuries, facial wounds, or recent head and nose surgeries to stay away from public waterbodies.

The warning comes after a joint study by the Health department and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that they faced high risk of amoebic encephalitis.

The study had found that swimming or diving in ponds and canals raised the risk of infection multiple times for those with maxillofacial injury or nasal surgery.

Exposing skin wounds or ulcers to natural waterbodies is even more dangerous, with many times higher odds of infection.

The Health authorities said Acanthamoeba, an amoeba found in soil and water, can enter through broken skin and reach the brain, causing a slow infection.

Other routes of infection include washing wounds in waterbodies, using non-chlorinated well water, and water forcefully entering the nose while bathing.