Shigella outbreak spikes again in Kerala – 23 new cases in the first week of November

Kerala’s health officials sounded the alarm again this November – 23 fresh Shigella infections were confirmed in just six days, and a single day, Friday, accounted for 13 of those cases.

The new figures push the year‑to‑date tally to 583 confirmed infections, while another 116 people are still being investigated as possible cases. Sadly, eight lives have already been lost to the bacteria.

Breaking down the latest numbers, Malappuram district bore the brunt with seven of the new cases, followed closely by Kozhikode’s six. Palakkad reported three, and Thrissur and Kollam each added two. The capital, Thiruvananthapuram, along with Idukki and Ernakulam, reported one case apiece.

It’s worth remembering that this isn’t the first time the state has wrestled with Shigella. Back in 2025, when the pathogen first appeared in Kerala, 132 people were infected but, fortunately, no deaths were recorded.

June 2026 was particularly grim – a sudden surge saw 205 people test positive, a stark jump from the 21 cases logged the previous June. Six of the eight fatalities reported this year occurred during that month alone.

The months that followed showed a gradual decline: 128 cases in July, 50 in August and 32 in September. Yet October flipped the trend once more, with 69 new infections, hinting that the battle is far from over.

Why does the disease flare up now? Experts point to the classic culprits – contaminated water sources. Shigella bacteria hitch a ride in the faeces of an infected person and can easily find their way into drinking water through open defecation, leaky septic tanks, or wells positioned too close to toilets. Heavy rainfall and flooding, especially the kind Kerala experiences every monsoon, exacerbate the problem by washing waste into water supplies.

Typical symptoms are anything but pleasant: watery diarrhoea mixed with fever, blood or mucus in the stool, severe abdominal cramps, vomiting and a lingering sense of fatigue. If you notice any of these signs, it’s crucial to seek medical attention promptly and stay hydrated.

Health authorities are urging residents to practice diligent hygiene – washing hands with soap, boiling or treating drinking water, and avoiding consumption of raw foods that might have been washed with contaminated water. The message is clear: a little caution now can prevent a lot of suffering later.

As the state navigates this renewed outbreak, the hope is that increased awareness and swift action will flatten the curve before the numbers climb any higher.