Kerala reports 34 cases of shigellosis in June so far

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More cases of shigellosis (bacillary dysentery), a highly contagious bacterial diarrhoeal disease caused by shigella, are being reported across Kerala, with a total of 34 cases reported in June alone.

Thiruvananthapuram has reported six cases, Kollam and Idukki one each, Alapuzha three, Malappuram and Kannur two each, Kozhikode 11 and Wayanad eight.

Three more children tested positive for shigellosis at Wayanad Mar Baselios HSS on Thursday, where around 514 children have shown symptoms of the infection. The results of seven more samples are awaited, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said here on Thursday.

He said that 47 people are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals, both public and private, in Wayanad, while three people were hospitalised in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, and two others in Kollam.

Mr. Muraleedharan said that water samples from both the borewell as well as the well in Mar Baselios school had been sent for testing and that the well water was found to be highly contaminated.

Shigellosis is sporadically reported from all districts every year, with occasional outbreaks. Last year, a total of 133 cases had been reported, with zero deaths.

Shigellosis is a severe form of diarrhoeal outbreak involving intestinal tissue invasion by the bacteria, causing highly infectious, bloody, and mucoid stools (bacillary dysentery) accompanied by high fever and severe abdominal cramps.

The infection spreads through contaminated water, food and contact from infected surfaces and is extremely infectious. Ingesting as few as 10 to 100 bacteria can cause an infection. It spreads rapidly via the fecal-oral route through direct person-to-person contact.

Usually, one infected person in a household can transmit the infection to all family members, unless strict personal hygiene is maintained.

The Health department has issued an advisory wherein it has asked parents to confine infected children at home so that interaction with other children, followed by transmission of th