Health Department ramps up surveillance as Shigella infection cases rise in Malappuram

Eight cases of Shigella infection have been confirmed in the Malappuram district of Kerala, prompting the Health Department to intensify surveillance and preventive measures in the affected areas. According to a report by The Hindu, 5 of these cases are linked to a wedding ceremony held at Korkkuthu in Ilmakkulam Panchayat, near Perinthalmanna.

A wedding function took place on October 31, 2026, in Ward 12 of Ilmakkulam Panchayat. Approximately 80 people who attended the event subsequently reported symptoms of diarrhoea. A child from this area is also suspected of having a Shigella infection and is currently under special observation.

Among the other confirmed cases apart from the wedding, a 4-year-old girl who consumed food from a snack shop located at the 5th mile of Amarambalam near Nilambur is included. Additionally, two individuals who ate Mandi rice at a restaurant in Palunda, near Chungathara in Nilambur, have also been infected. The girl and the two patients from Chungathara are currently undergoing treatment at the Nilambur Government District Hospital. Several other people, including the girl's mother, have also complained of similar symptoms.

Following the incident, the Food Safety Department has collected samples of the food and drinking water served at the wedding and sent them for testing. Stool samples of the affected individuals will be examined at the laboratory of the Government Medical College in Manjeri.

A special health team has been constituted by the Health Department, which has commenced surveillance and field-level interventions. Health officials have advised people to drink water after boiling and cooling it, and to consume properly cooked food. Furthermore, instructions have been issued to carry out super-chlorination of drinking water sources using bleaching powder.

Health authorities will intensify inspections of local establishments and public events in coordination with the Panchayat. Organisers of weddings and other functions have been told to strictly adhere to public health guidelines.