NEW DELHI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A 56-year-old woman died Monday due to Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), commonly known as brain fever, at a hospital in the southern Indian state of Kerala, officials said.

The woman, a native of Malappuram district, was admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode district last week and has been in a critical condition since then, a health official said.

Since August 14, five people in the state have died from the rare but deadly infection affecting the brain.

Reports said at present 11 people are undergoing treatment for the disease at the hospital, with a few in critical condition.

A total of 42 cases have been reported across Kerala this year.

PAM is a rare but highly fatal brain infection caused by free-living amoebae found in stagnant freshwater such as ponds and lakes. The infection occurs when contaminated water enters the nose, allowing the amoeba to reach the brain. ■