Keralam Records Sharp Rise in Shigella Cases as Death Toll Reaches Five

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is witnessing an alarming surge in Shigella cases, with official figures recording 167 confirmed cases and five deaths across the state up to June 17 — a dramatic increase compared to previous years, when only 12 cases were reported in 2020. Four of the five deaths occurred in the first 15 days of June alone, underscoring the accelerating pace of the outbreak.

Health experts have identified contamination of water bodies and failures in waste management by certain local self-government bodies as the primary drivers of the spread. Kerala's high population density and the contamination of drinking water sources are compounding the crisis.

Shigella, a bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated food and water, primarily affects children under five and those with weakened immunity. Key symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhoea.

Demands have grown for local bodies to intervene more vigorously to ensure public health, sanitation, and scientifically sound waste disposal. Health authorities have stressed that containing the outbreak will require war-footing sanitation drives and community participation to prevent water contamination — urging people to drink only boiled water, maintain personal and environmental hygiene, and protect water bodies from pollution.