Shigella Outbreak: Here Is What You Need To Know About The Bacterial Disease

While the world is still under the captive of a pandemic and is struggling hard to get out of it, another outbreak is there to leave its footprints on an already dilapidated year. Like the COVID-19's first steps into India, Shigella also saw its first traces in Kerala. An 11-year-old boy died in the southern state of India and several people have been hospitalised with an intestinal infection.

The government has alerted health officials and the general public about this new outbreak and is on its heels to taper it down and control it within the Kozhikode area. In an attempt to control the disease, the government is carrying out house inspections and medical camps have been set up to deal with the disease.

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Things To Know About Shigella Outbreak

1. Kozhikode District Medical Officer V Jayashree said that around 26 cases of diarrhoea have been reported in the district in the span of the past few days. Out of the 26 cases, around six of these cases have been entwined with Shigella. 
2. Patients suffering from Shigella symptoms, including two children, have been admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College. Few patients have been discharged after recovering from it. According to the District Medical Officer, none of the affected patients are in critical condition. Around 56 samples of suspected patients have been collected by the district administration in Kozhikode. Out of the 56 collected samples, only six were diagnosed with Shigella.
3. According to Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja, this is not the first time that Shigella infection has been reported in the state and there have been similar reports in the past as well. She also added that usually, these viruses spread through contaminated water. Therefore, it is advised for people living in densely populated areas to use boiled water for drinking.
4. Shigella is a contagious virus infection where a patient experiences diarrhoea as the primary symptom.  It is the frequently used term to describe shigellosis which is caused by Shigella bacteria.
5. Children under the age of 10 are highly susceptible to contract this bacteria. A person can get infected with shigellosis after or consuming stale food or drinking contaminated water or even using the same toilet as an infected person.
6. Other symptoms of Shigella include fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms of Shigella usually begin a day or two after the patient has got infected and can last for up to a stretch of seven days.
7. To keep this virus at bay one should keep good care of their hygiene. Doctors advise to wash hands frequently with soap and running water to avoid infections.

Also Read: Coronavirus Outbreak Has Not Yet Peaked Says Virologist Polly Roy

Picture Credit: asianetnews

Sanskriti Tiwari is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.