Kerala logs 110 Shigella cases in June amid Nipah scare

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 18 (PTI) Shigella infections continued to rise in Kerala, with 19 new cases reported on Thursday, taking the total number recorded in the state this month to 110, according to the Health Department.

In a statement, Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan said the fresh cases included nine from Kozhikode, three from Thrissur, two each from Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, and one each from Kollam, Ernakulam and Malappuram.

Kozhikode and Wayanad continued to report the highest number of Shigella cases this month, with 33 and 18 cases, respectively.

Outbreaks have been declared in Kozhikode and Wayanad, the statement said.

Other districts that have reported Shigella cases during June include Malappuram (14), Thiruvananthapuram (13), Thrissur (9), Kollam (8), Kannur (7), Alappuzha (3), Idukki (3) and Ernakulam (2).

The department said Kerala has reported 186 Shigella cases so far this year, including 110 cases during June alone.

Shigella is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. It spreads mainly through contaminated food or water, as well as through contact with infected persons.

Amid a rise in shigellosis and other diarrhoeal diseases during the monsoon season, the Health Department has launched a statewide campaign against diarrhoeal diseases from June 16 to July 31, the minister said.

The campaign, being conducted in coordination with various government departments, aims to strengthen awareness and preventive measures under the slogan “Prevent diarrhoeal diseases, save lives.” According to the department, the campaign will focus on disinfecting drinking water sources, monitoring water quality, promoting scientific waste management, encouraging hand hygiene, and ensuring the availability of ORS and zinc at health centres and anganwadis.

The campaign will also stress personal hygiene, handwashing practices, sanitation measures while handling infants, and awareness about the preparation and importance of ORS, the statement said.

The Health Department further said that another person admitted for observation after being included in the Nipah contact list was discharged from Kozhikode Medical College after testing negative for the virus and showing health improvement.

With this, six of the nine people admitted to the hospital from the Nipah contact list have been discharged, while three remain under observation, officials said.

The Nipah patient continues to be on ventilator support at Kozhikode Medical College, the department added.

No new persons were added to the Nipah contact list on Thursday.

At present, 104 people remain on the contact list: four in the very high-risk category, 14 in the high-risk category and 86 in the low-risk category, officials said.

Health workers also visited 50 more houses in Division 5 of Ramanattukara municipality, where the Nipah case was reported, as part of surveillance and containment measures, officials added.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus that spreads from animals to humans and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or direct human-to-human contact.

The infection can cause fever, headache, respiratory symptoms and acute encephalitis, and has a high fatality rate.

Fruit bats of the Pteropus species are considered the natural hosts of the virus. PTI