India, Sept. 18 -- Kerala is on alert after infections caused by a rare water-borne 'brain-eating amoeba' have doubled compared to last year in the state where 19 deaths have been reported due so far, including nine in September alone.

Kerala last year had reported 36 infections of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, caused by Naegleria fowleri amoeba - which is called "brain-eating amoeba" because it can infect the brain and destroy brain tissue.

- Altaf Ali, a doctor who is part of a government task force to prevent the spread of the infections, said numbers are still tiny but officials were "conducting tests on a large scale across the state to detect and treat cases," AFP news agency reported. "Its worrying that new cases this year...