Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan has intensified surveillance and preventive measures after a four-year-old child died of Shigella infection in Kozhikode, marking the first reported fatality from the disease in the state.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said three children had been admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital with the infection, with two recovering and being discharged. However, a four-year-old girl, Nila from Thalakkulathur, succumbed to the disease on Saturday.
Muraleedharan said Shigella is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the intestines and causes symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal pain. He added that the disease mainly spreads through contaminated food and water, and strict hygiene practices are essential to prevent its spread.
The minister said around 123 cases were reported in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts last week, and amid concerns over reports of gastrointestinal illness among students in Wayanad, preliminary investigations indicated that the cases were not linked to Shigella.
As part of preventive measures, the Health Department has directed the Food Safety Department to intensify inspections across the state, and hotels and eateries have been instructed to strictly adhere to hygiene standards and ensure the supply of safe drinking water to customers.
Muraleedharan warned of strict action against unhygienic food outlets, including roadside eateries operating in unsanitary conditions, and said the government would not permit establishments posing a public health risk to continue functioning.
