Kerala reports 7 more Shigella cases; holiday announced in affected areas till June 14

WAYANAD: Seven additional cases of Shigella infection have been confirmed among students of a school in Kerala’s Wayanad district. With the sudden rise, the number of infected children has now reached 16.Health officials said the condition of all 16 children who tested positive was currently satisfactory, news agency PTI reported.District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr KT Rekha said on Friday that infectious disease surveillance, along with preventive and control awareness activities, has been intensified in the hill district.The DMO further said that health workers should be informed immediately if any new symptoms appear, and treatment should be sought at the nearest health centres, while cautioning against self-medication.She advised that children showing symptoms should limit contact with others. She urged everyone to take necessary precautions and follow the guidelines issued by the Health Department to prevent the spread of the disease to other children and adults.On Thursday, Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan said new cases of Shigella had also been reported from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kozhikode districts, but assured that there was no cause for concern at present.

The minister added that till June 11, a total of 578 people were symptomatic, and 55 had been admitted to various government and private hospitals across the state, PTI reported.In Wayanad, where most of those infected are students of an aided school, the minister said a strong bacterial presence was detected in the institution’s well water and described it as contaminated.The district collector had declared a holiday for all schools and educational institutions in the Shigella-affected and nearby areas until June 14 on Wednesday.Shigella is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps, and spreads mainly through contaminated food or water, as well as contact with infected persons.(With agency inputs)