Kerala reports 85 Shigella cases and two child deaths

Health authorities in Kerala are intensifying surveillance and deploying medical teams following a Shigella outbreak that has resulted in at least two child fatalities and dozens of hospitalizations across multiple districts. The situation has prompted high-level government meetings and a series of public health advisories.

The outbreak has been reported in Wayanad, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, and Malappuram districts. A four-year-old girl from Kozhikode died from the infection on Saturday, June 6, marking the state's first reported fatality from the disease. Health officials confirmed a second child death from April was also due to Shigella. The bacterial infection, which causes severe diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal pain, spreads through contaminated food and water and is considered highly contagious.

In Wayanad district, a cluster of cases emerged at Mar Baselios School, where two young children tested positive for Shigellosis on Monday, June 8. Authorities reported that 339 people in the area have exhibited symptoms, with 25 students admitted to Sultan Bathery Taluk Headquarters Hospital. Their conditions are described as stable, with none in serious condition. A...