Kerala Shigella Outbreak: Two More Deaths Push Toll To Five

Thiruvananthapuram : The health crisis in Kerala deepened on Monday as the state confirmed two more deaths from Shigella, a highly contagious bacterial infection. With these latest fatalities, the state’s total death toll from the disease has risen to five this year, while the overall number of confirmed cases has climbed to 147.  

The latest victims include a seven-year-old boy from Kodur in Malappuram district, who succumbed to the infection while undergoing intensive treatment at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. He had been admitted just days prior with high fever and acute diarrhoea. The second fatality was confirmed via a post-mortem report of a 43-year-old man from Thrissur district, who died on Saturday after complaining of severe abdominal pain and gastrointestinal distress.

 According to data released by the Directorate of Health Services, eight fresh infections were reported across multiple districts on Monday, pushing the state’s aggregate tally to 147. Kozhikode remains the hardest-hit region, accounting for nearly half of all recorded cases.

Outbreaks have also triggered critical emergencies in Wayanad and Malappuram, where medical teams have linked the spread to contaminated local water systems, including open wells and purifiers.  In response to the rapid surge, the Kerala Health Department has constituted a high-level expert committee, chaired by international public health experts, to oversee disease surveillance and prevent further community transmission. Health Minister K.

 Muraleedharan urged the public to maintain strict personal hygiene, consume only thoroughly boiled drinking water, and practice rigorous handwashing before meals. Local self-government bodies have been instructed to aggressively chlorinate public water sources, inspect commercial eateries, and conduct thorough sanitation audits. With several young pediatric patients currently fighting for their lives in intensive care units, medical authorities remain on high alert to contain the outbreak before the monsoon intensifies.