Shigella Outbreak In Kerala’s Wayanad District
Over 800 houses, more than a dozen educational institutions put under surveillance: Reports
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Around 800 households and 13 educational institutions are under close watch due to a Shigella outbreak in the state.
Health department officials reported that twelve schools and an engineering college in Kozhikode district are being monitored, as siblings of infected students attend these institutions. Workplaces of the infected students’ parents have also been placed under surveillance.
The Education Department has directed these institutions to ensure that siblings of infected students observe a week-long quarantine.
What is Shigella?
Shigella is a bacterial infection that inflames the digestive tract, with symptoms like diarrhoea, stomach pain, fever, nausea, severe dehydration, and vomiting. It spreads easily through poor hygiene, contaminated food, and inadequate handwashing, making outbreaks common in crowded areas.
District health authorities said 68 patients were admitted to hospitals across the district as of Tuesday. Since the outbreak of the disease, 443 people have sought treatment in various hospitals.
A high-level meeting chaired by Agriculture Minister T Siddique was held after Shigella infection was confirmed in students in Wayanad.
The minister urged extra caution to contain the spread. Special meetings will take place in panchayats and municipalities near Koliadi, where the outbreak occurred. Wells will be chlorinated in a special drive, and medical teams will be assigned to schools attended by siblings of affected children.
As some discharged students have shown symptoms again, they will be closely monitored. Authorities will also check for any lapses in school water testing, with strict instructions to avoid errors. Fourteen more people have developed symptoms after contact with Koliadi School students.
Shigella has been confirmed among students at Koliadi School, with 25 currently receiving treatment at Sultan Bathery Taluk Hospital and 38 in private hospitals. Health officials report that none of the children is in serious condition. Symptoms like fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea began after school, and tests confirmed Shigella infection.
In Wayanad district, two students have been diagnosed so far, with results pending for 19 more. Over 300 children have sought treatment at various hospitals for similar symptoms.
At present, 25 children have been admitted to different hospitals, but the health department has said that none of them is serious and all are in satisfactory health.