Delay in Pre-Monsoon Cleaning Led to Rise in Infectious Diseases: Health Minister Admits

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's Health Minister K Muralidharan has warned that Shigella infections and communicable diseases are rising sharply across the state, with 70 cases reported in June alone pushing the total confirmed Shigella case count for the year to 146. Five deaths have been reported so far, with fatalities recorded in Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Thrissur districts.

The minister attributed the surge in communicable diseases to the disruption of pre-monsoon sanitation drives, and stressed that containing the current outbreak requires a collective effort from local self-government institutions and the public alike. The Health Department has expanded testing across the state in response to the worsening situation.

Given the scale of the outbreak, a detailed expert study on the disease and its containment strategies will be conducted with the involvement of specialists in the field. Special investigations into zoonotic diseases — infections that can transmit from animals to humans — have also been ordered.

At the state level, a high-power expert committee chaired by Dr S S Lal is to be constituted to ensure effective control of communicable diseases. In addition, dedicated district-level outbreak committees will be formed to coordinate containment efforts at the local level, the minister announced.