Kerala, which is battling continuously with the increasing covid-19 cases every day, now 15 cases of a new bacterial infection, shigellosis has been reported which can be fatal and believed to be contagious.
During the last 24 hours, out of 54,472 sample, 5,456 covid cases has been reported positive as said by the State’s Health Minister, KK Shailaja.
She also added that total recoveries in the state is 6,32,065 while the number of active cases stands by 58,884.
In the meanwhile, some 15-20 suspected cases of shigellosis and even one death of 11 year old boy have been reported from the Kerala’s Kozhikode district as stated by local media reports.
District Medical Officer said that at least six of the patients under treatment have been confirmed with the presence of shigella bacteria while others are being tested for it.
What is shigellosis? What are its causes and symptoms?
Shigellosis is a bacterial infection of the intestines which is caused by shigella bacteria and can be contagious. The shigellosis spread through the contaminated water and food or through contact with the contaminated faeces or even through the sexual contact with the infected person.
The shigella bacteria passes through the stomach and reach the intestine where it gets multiply and results in the cramping along with the diarrhoea.
The person, affected with the shigellosis usually show the symptoms after one to two days of its infection and it can turn out to be deadly as the fatality rate is about 15 percent. The symptoms include diarrhoea, fever, dehydrated, abdominal pain and feeling the need to pass stools even when the bowels are empty. The diarrhoea in some cases can be bloody.
As health officials in Kerala are now sanitising the local water bodies. It has been found that those who are presently suffering from the shigellosis has come in contact with the 11 year old infected boy. Either they have attended the boy’s funeral or had food from his house.
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