KOZHIKODE: Health authorities in Kerala have formally confirmed that the tragic demise of a 54-year-old woman from Kozhikode district was triggered by a severe Shigella bacterial infection. With this latest laboratory confirmation, the state’s total death toll directly linked to Shigella complications has tragically jumped to six during this month alone. The development comes at a time when Kerala is actively battling a volatile and widespread surge in bacterial diarrhea cases across multiple northern zones, causing immense concern for regional epidemiology wings.
The deceased, identified as Sunitha, a resident of Parammal in the Mavoor localized belt, had been undergoing intensive clinical treatment after developing life-threatening physical symptoms, including a dangerously high fever and acute, persistent diarrhoea. She was initially rushed to a private medical facility for stabilizing care, but as her multi-organ vitals began deteriorating rapidly, she was shifted to the advanced care ward of the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. Following her passing in the early morning hours of June 20, suspicious medical supervisors dispatched her biological fluid samples for definitive laboratory cultivation, which subsequently tested positive for the toxic bacterial strain.
The official confirmation highlights a broader public health challenge, with seven fresh Shigella infections documented by the state’s health desk on Sunday alone. These newly registered figures encompass two instances each from Kozhikode and the capital district of Thiruvananthapuram, alongside singular isolated infections detected in Thrissur, Malappuram, and Wayanad. This sudden escalation brings the aggregate number of documented Shigella cases within June to an alarming 140, pushing the cumulative calendar year tally for 2026 to 216 confirmed infections. Kozhikode remains the worst-affected epicentre of the current wave, prompting local administrative cells to launch extensive water-source sanitization drives and issue strict public warnings regarding water filtration, hand hygiene, and early medical intervention.
ലഘു വിവരണം
കോഴിക്കോട് മാവൂർ സ്വദേശിനിയായ 54 വയസ്സുകാരി സുനിതയുടെ മരണം ഷിഗെല്ല അണുബാധ മൂലമാണെന്ന് ആരോഗ്യവകുപ്പ് സ്ഥിരീകരിച്ചു. ഇതോടെ ജൂൺ മാസത്തിൽ മാത്രം കേരളത്തിൽ ഷിഗെല്ല ബാധിച്ചു മരിച്ചവരുടെ എണ്ണം ആറായി. സംസ്ഥാനത്ത് ഈ മാസം 140 പേർക്കും, 2026-ൽ ഇതുവരെ ആകെ 216 പേർക്കും രോഗം സ്ഥിരീകരിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. കോഴിക്കോട്, മലപ്പുറം, വയനാട് എന്നീ ജില്ലകളിലാണ് രോഗബാധ കൂടുതൽ. തിളപ്പിച്ചാറ്റിയ വെള്ളം മാത്രം കുടിക്കാനും കടുത്ത വയറിളക്കം അവഗണിക്കാതെ ചികിത്സ തേടാനും ആരോഗ്യ അധികൃതർ മുന്നറിയിപ്പ് നൽകി.
(With inputs from TNIE)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com