Kerala: Kerala reported 10 more cases of Shigella infection on Friday, taking the total number recorded in June to 120, according to the Health Department. Officials said the total number of Shigella infections reported in the state this year has now reached 196, while five deaths linked to the disease have been reported during June.
The department also provided an update on the Nipah situation, stating that the patient continues to remain on ventilator support at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. Test results for all 14 contacts who developed symptoms and were tested have returned negative.
According to a statement issued by Health Minister K Muraleedharan, the 10 new Shigella cases include three from Kozhikode, two each from Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Malappuram, and one from Palakkad. Shigella is a highly contagious bacterial infection that spreads through contaminated food, water or poor hygiene and commonly causes diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps.
The statement noted that Kozhikode and Wayanad have recorded the highest number of Shigella cases this month. Outbreaks have been declared in Kozhikode with 36 cases, Wayanad with 18, Thrissur with 11 and Alappuzha with three. Other districts reporting infections in June include Malappuram with 16, Thiruvananthapuram with 15, Kollam with eight, Kannur with seven, Idukki with three, Ernakulam with two and Palakkad with one.
On the Nipah front, three individuals under observation at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital were discharged on Friday, leaving no contacts under hospital observation. Currently, 104 people remain on the contact list, including four in the very high-risk category, 14 in the high-risk category and 86 in the low-risk category.
Health officials continued follow-up measures, house visits and psychological support services while monitoring both the Shigella outbreak and the Nipah situation across the state.
