The Consulate General of Maldives has stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the public to be vigilant against the spread of brain-eating amoeba infection in Kerala, India.

The disease is caused by a bacterium that enters the body through the nose or ears. Health experts advise people not to go to rivers during these days and to use earbuds or nasal clips to prevent water from entering their ears and nose.

Symptoms of "brain-eating amoeba infection":

- Coughing

- Headache

- Vomiting

- Stiff neck

- Mental confusion

- Seizures

The Consulate General of Maldives urged people to contact the relevant health authorities immediately if they show any symptoms.

Indian newspapers have reported that four people have tested positive for the disease in northern Kerala, including three who have died in the past two months.

Studies have shown that the "brain-eating amoeba infection," is very rare and dangerous. The disease was last reported in 1962 in the United States. Only three of the 135 people infected survived.