Kerala has reported around 69 cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) since the beginning of this year including 19 deaths following contact with Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the “brain-eating” amoeba, the state health minister told the state assembly on Wednesday. These are single, isolated cases, which has complicated our epidemiological investigations,” minister Veena George was quoted as saying by NDTV news. Last year, the state reported 36 cases of PAM and nine deaths, NDTV said. Amoebic encephalitis is a rare but lethal central nervous system infection caused by free-living amoebae found in freshwater, lakes and rivers, showed a Kerala government document. Of the two types of amoebic encephalitis, primary amoebic encelphalitis has been found in Kerala, and is caused by Naegleria fowleri, the document showed.