THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, November 8 (Aalimi Nation) – Kerala's health department has issued an alert and expanded preventive measures after the number of confirmed Shigella infections in Malappuram district rose to eight, according to a statement on Sunday.
The department said Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur have each recorded one confirmed case, while Kozhikode has three. Malappuram's total of eight is the highest among the districts. Reports from the ground differ on the exact Malappuram figure, with some putting it at seven, which may reflect different reporting dates. The latest official bulletin should be treated as the authoritative count.
No deaths have been reported in the information available so far.
In the Nilambur area, three people were infected after eating food from hotels or eateries, according to local health officials. A four-year-old girl tested positive after eating a dish from a shop in Amarambalam, and two others were infected after eating food from an eatery in Palunda. The girl's mother is also receiving treatment.
Officials said around 23 people in the area have symptoms and are being treated in hospital. Panchayat and health officials inspected two shops suspected of being the source, shut unlicensed eateries and served notices on others found operating in unhygienic conditions. Reports also linked a separate cluster to a wedding feast, though the number of people affected there has not been verified.
In Vadakara in Kozhikode district, several schoolchildren fell ill after the mid-day meal on October 30 and were taken to the district hospital. Three students have tested positive, one of whom has recovered. Food and water samples from the school have been sent for testing, and the cause has not been confirmed.
Kozhikode's District Medical Officer, Dr LT Sarithakumari, said the condition of the affected children was not critical.
Health officials said chlorination of water sources has been carried out, including in 290 houses in the adjoining areas, and oral rehydration salts were distributed to 360 houses. The department has asked residents to take precautions as the alert remains in force.
Shigellosis is a bacterial infection that spreads through contaminated food or water and through poor hygiene. Symptoms include diarrhoea, fever, stomach cramps and vomiting. Dehydration is the main danger, and children under five are at higher risk.
Officials urged people to:
eat freshly cooked food and avoid food from unhygienic outlets
drink safe, boiled or chlorinated water
wash hands regularly with soap, especially before meals
seek immediate medical care for diarrhoea or vomiting
The department has not announced the confirmed source of every cluster, and test results for the school samples are awaited. Health officials are expected to continue inspections of eateries in the affected districts in the coming days.
