Govt. stepped up preventive measures against Shigella: Kerala Health Minister

Following the death of a four-year-old girl in Kozhikode district due to Shigella on Saturday, the Kerala Health Department has intensified precautionary measures, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Mr. Muraleedharan said that instructions have been issued to food safety officials to conduct inspections at restaurants and roadside eateries to ensure that food safety norms are followed.

“Three children have been infected with Shigella in Kozhikode. One of them has been discharged while the two-year-old is in a stable condition. Shigella affects the intestine with symptoms of fever, stomach pain and diarrhoea. When several students in a school in Wayanad showed symptoms including vomiting, we feared the worst. However, a preliminary report by a team of doctors from the Government Shigella and College Hospital says it is not a case of Shigella. to test samples and submit a final report news,” said the minister.

Mr. Muraleedharan said the source of infection could be unclean water sources as well as unsanitary restaurants and roadside canteens.

“Though restaurants are supposed to provide boiled drinking water to customers, many are not following it. The food safety department has been asked to ensure this. Roadside canteens operating in unsanitary conditions will be closed. Instructions have also been issued to check samples of well water and mid-day meals in schools. Local bodies also have a role to play in ensuring cleanliness in public spaces,” Mr Muraleedharan said.

Published – 07 Jun 2026 20:53 IST