Source of shigella infection yet to be confirmed

Test results of water and food samples awaited

The source of the shigella bacterial infection that led to the death of an 11-year-old boy in the Kozhikode Corporation area is yet to be confirmed even as surveillance activities are being taken up in a nearby ward and adjacent grama panchayats.

According to sources, the test results of the water and food samples sent to the regional analytical lab will take some more days to be made available.

Microbiological culturing of the water samples is being done to detect the presence of the bacteria. The infection came to the fore when the boy from the Kottamparamba-Mundikkalthazham area in the Mayanad ward died last week and people who attended his last rites also complained of sickness.

Over 30 people were treated as suspected cases and there were fewer than 10 confirmed cases of the infection. A health camp was held in the area on Saturday.

No new cases

Additional District Surveillance Officer Sarala Nair said on Monday that no new suspected cases of the infection had been reported. Those under observation have only mild symptoms, she added.

Meanwhile, the health wing of the Kozhikode Corporation has now extended chlorination of wells in the nearby Chelavoor ward as well.

Similar activities are being taken up in Kunnamangalam and Peruvayal grama panchayats that are adjacent to it.

Nine persons from Kunnamangalam, including six children, who attended the last rites were found to have mild symptoms. They were given medicines and were advised against hospitalisation as the infection was not that serious. Over 100 wells in this panchayats had been chlorinated, said sources.

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