8 schoolkids in Wayanad hit by Shigella infection; govt says situation under control

Wayanad/ Kozhikode (Kerala), Jun 10 (PTI) Five more cases of Shigella infection have been confirmed among students of a school in Kerala’s Wayanad district, taking the total number of affected children to eight, even as Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Wednesday said the situation remains under control.

The latest positive results were from samples sent for testing on June 7, health department officials said.

The newly infected children are girls aged five, seven, eight, nine, and 11.

Officials said the health condition of all eight infected children is satisfactory.

A state-level expert team, led by Additional Director of the Public Health Department Dr K P Reetha, visited Koliyadi and nearby areas to assess the situation and issued directions to prevent further spread of the disease, according to a statement.

Disease prevention and containment measures, along with intensive awareness campaigns, are being carried out in the area under the leadership of the Health Department and local self-government institutions.

A special chlorination drive is also underway to disinfect drinking water sources.

Authorities urged the public to strictly follow precautionary guidelines issued by the Health Department and maintain personal, food, and environmental hygiene.

People experiencing symptoms have been advised to seek treatment at the nearest health facility without delay, the statement added.

Muraleedharan told reporters in Kozhikode that there were suspicions the infection may have spread through contact, though this has not yet been confirmed.

“As of now, the situation is under control. When I visited Wayanad on Tuesday, 38 children were undergoing treatment. Of them, 12 were admitted to government hospitals and the others to private hospitals,” he said.

The minister said the parents of affected children have also been shifted to isolation wards due to suspicion that they may be infected.

Test results are awaited and will help determine whether the infection is spreading through contact.

He added that a decision on reopening the affected school in Wayanad would be taken only after receiving the test results of water samples collected from the well there.

Muraleedharan had on Tuesday urged local bodies to strengthen hygiene and sanitation measures following the detection of Shigella infections in the district.

Shigella is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps. It spreads primarily through contaminated food or water, or through contact with infected individuals. PTI