Kerala on Tuesday issued a health alert after two school students tested positive for Shigella infection, while 25 others with suspected conditions were admitted to a hospital in Wayanad district.
The southern state has issued a health alert and stepped up surveillance, sanitation and water-safety measures to prevent further spread.
Health authorities have advised residents to consume only boiled or purified water, maintain strict hygiene and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever or vomiting appear.
Shigella is a bacterial intestinal infection caused by the Shigella bacterium. Common symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. The bacteria attack the intestinal lining, causing inflammation and damage.
According to officials, the students of Koliadi Mar Baselios AUP School in Wayanad have been admitted to Sultan Bathery Taluk Hospital following a suspected food poisoning incident.
The infected children – a 4-and-a-half-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl – are among 339 people who have reported symptoms of the infection.
Speaking in Thrissur, Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan said 25 students are currently admitted to Sultan Bathery Taluk Hospital and none of them is in serious condition. He said a medical team from Kozhikode has been deployed in Wayanad to assist local health authorities.
“Some students are also undergoing treatment in private hospitals. There are around 800 students in the school," the minister said.
Muraleedharan said health authorities are also monitoring students who have already been discharged from hospitals.
“Currently, there is no cause for concern. However, we must remain cautious about this disease. Directions have been given to the food safety commissioner to conduct inspections across the state," he said, adding that unsanitary roadside thatched eateries found violating hygiene standards would be shut down.
Apart from Wayanad and Kozhikode, authorities have also reported Shigella cases in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts.
Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan urged the government to take urgent measures on a war footing to prevent the spread of Shigella infections in the state. In a statement, he said heightened vigilance was necessary as cases were being reported from various districts.
