Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala on Wednesday reported one more death due to Shigella infection, taking the total number of fatalities linked to the disease in the state to six, according to Health Department figures.
A 75-year-old woman from Malappuram was the latest victim of the bacterial infection, official sources said.
The Health Department also reported 12 new cases of Shigella across the state.
Shigella is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. It spreads mainly through contaminated food or water and through contact with infected persons.
Of the 12 new cases, one involved a 62-year-old woman from Koothuparamba in Kannur district, who tested positive for the infection.
The disease was confirmed following tests conducted at a private hospital after she developed symptoms including diarrhoea and passage of blood and mucus in her stools.
Health authorities are investigating the source of the infection, the department said.
Meanwhile, one more person on the Nipah virus contact list, who was under observation at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, was discharged after symptoms subsided.
With this, five of the nine persons admitted to the hospital from among those on the contact list have been discharged, while four remain under observation, officials said.
In view of increasing disease cases, Health Minister K Muraleedharan directed health workers and the public to wear masks while visiting hospitals and during episodes of fever.
He also called for intensified disease-prevention measures in schools.
