Fourth Shigella death reported in Kerala; seven-year-old Malappuram boy dies in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: Kerala has reported its fourth death due to shigellosis this year, with a seven-year-old boy from Kodur in Malappuram district succumbing to the infection while undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

The child, Arjav, a Class II student of Malappuram AUP School, was admitted to the hospital last Friday with fever and severe diarrhoea. His condition worsened rapidly despite intensive treatment, and he passed away on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, the condition of a one-year-old child receiving treatment for Shigella infection in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital remains critical.

According to health department data, 135 cases of shigellosis have been confirmed across Kerala since January, with Kozhikode district accounting for 68 of those cases. Following the latest death, health authorities in Malappuram have intensified surveillance and preventive measures across the district to contain the spread of the disease.

The other shigellosis-related deaths reported in the state this year include Sarojini (59) of Keezhattur in Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, who died on June 9; Nila (4) of Vallilkadavu in Kozhikode, who died on June 6; and a three-year-old girl from Anakuzhikkara in Kozhikode district, who died in March.

Health officials have urged the public to maintain strict hygiene practices, consume safe drinking water, and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, or blood-stained stools develop.