Health officials step up surveillance as Shigella cases rise in Malappuram

Eight people have tested positive for Shigella infection in Malappuram district, with five cases linked to a wedding feast at Korakkuthu in Elamkulam panchayat near Perinthalmanna. The outbreak has prompted the Health department to step up surveillance and preventive measures in the area.

The five patients attended a wedding held on October 31, 2026, in ward 12 of Elamkulam panchayat. Around 80 people who attended the function have since reported symptoms of diarrhoea. A child from the area is also suspected to have Shigella infection and is under special observation.

The other confirmed cases include a four-year-old girl who ate food from a snack shop at 5th Mile at Amarambalam near Nilambur, and two people who ate mandi rice from a restaurant at Palunda near Chungathara, Nilambur. The girl and the two patients from Chungathara are undergoing treatment at Government District Hospital, Nilambur.

Several others, including the girl’s mother, have also reported similar symptoms. The Food Safety department has collected samples of food and drinking water served at the wedding and sent them for testing. Stool samples of those affected will be examined at the laboratory at Government Medical College, Manjeri.

A special health team has begun surveillance and field-level interventions. The Health department has advised people to drink boiled and cooled water and eat properly cooked food. Drinking water sources should also be superchlorinated using bleaching powder, said health officials.

The health authorities, in coordination with the panchayat, will intensify inspections at local establishments and public functions. Event organisers have been asked to follow public health guidelines.