Shigella Death Toll in Keralam Rises to Five as New Cases Emerge

Kozhikode: Kerala's Shigella outbreak claimed two more lives on Monday, taking the state's death toll from the bacterial infection this year to five. The fatalities were reported from Malappuram and Thrissur districts.

In Malappuram, seven-year-old Arjav, son of Baiju and Nithina, died on Monday morning. The child was a second-standard student at a Malappuram AUP School. In Thrissur, Niyaz (43), a native of Mapranam, also died after being under treatment at a private hospital following complaints of abdominal pain.

A fresh Shigella case has been confirmed in Vadakara municipality, Kozhikode, where a four-year-old girl from Ward 17 tested positive. The infection was detected while she was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for fever and diarrhoea. The child had already been discharged before the test results came in and is currently asymptomatic. As a precautionary measure, wells in the area have been chlorinated and an awareness drive conducted. Municipal health officials, Junior Health Inspectors, councillors, and ASHA workers carried out house visits in the locality.

Two more cases have been confirmed in Kannur, with boys aged four and eight from Mokeri testing positive. The infection was identified at a private hospital in Thalassery.

Meanwhile, the Nipah patient from Farook, Kozhikode, who is undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, remains in a critical condition on ventilator support. A close relative of the patient has been admitted for observation, and six persons are currently under surveillance.