States »SoutPosted at: Apr 10 2021 3:41PM Shigella claims life of six-year-old tribal girl in Wayanad
Wayanad, Apr 10 (UNI) The autopsy of a six-year tribal girl from here, who had died last week at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, has been confirmed that she breathed her last due to Shigella, a bacterial infection ("Shigellosis").
Resident of nearby Noolpuzha, the girl belonging to the Kattunayakan tribe, was admitted to the hospital with diarrhea and fever but died on April 4.
Sources in the health department said It had cautioned people to be alert on diarrhea and fever.
Shigellosis is an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called "Shigella" and most who are infected with the virus develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps starting a day or two after they are exposed to the bacteria. Shigellosis usually resolves in 5 to 7 days, the sources added.
Shigella usually spreads through food and water, which are contaminated to some extent by human excreta. The disease is treatable and is manageable by antibiotics.
Proper sanitisation methods should be followed. It is not deadly but requires public awareness and one must take due precautions on food and water safety along with proper waste management, they added.
There were few cases of Shigella reported in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts in December last but a timely intervention of the Health department averted a major outbreak of the disease.
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