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Keralam Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Sunday said that the state government has taken cognisance of the Shigella and Ebola outbreaks while noting the measures put in place to prevent the spread of the diseases.
Shigella bacteria cause shigellosis, an intestinal infection that typically leads to diarrhoea and fever. While the infection is usually mild and subsides on its own, it can cause severe complications in patients with co-morbid conditions. The bacteria enter the body through contaminated water or stale food and affect the epithelial lining of the colon, leading to inflammation of the cells. Speaking about the outbreak, the minister said the infection has so far been reported in three districts. He added that the government has ordered strict checking of all restaurants, hotels and local food courts. "Shigella has affected mainly three districts. The first death regarding it was reported at Kozhikode Medical College previously. The government has taken measures to prevent this disease. We have given strict instructions to the Food Safety Departments to check all the hotels, restaurants and local food courts," he said. On Ebola preparedness, Muraleedharan said that a person who recently arrived in the state from Uganda has been placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure. He added that four medical colleges have been prepared with isolation wards to handle any suspected cases. "The person who has come from Uganda is in quarantine. We have arranged four medical colleges for persons coming from different places. We have given instructions, and the isolation wards are also settled. Ebola has not been reported in any place in India; there are only suspected cases. It is mainly spreading in Australia and Uganda. So, we must be vigilant," the Minister stated. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the test report of a Ugandan woman admitted to a hospital in Jaipur after exhibiting Ebola-like symptoms has returned negative for the virus, Rajasthan health authorities said. According to the Rajasthan Public Health department, the woman, who had arrived in Rajasthan from Uganda as a tourist, was admitted to RUHS Hospital in Jaipur and kept in isolation as a precautionary measure after she developed symptoms resembling those associated with Ebola. Her samples were sent to a specialised laboratory in Pune for testing, which confirmed that she had not contracted the Ebola virus. Meanwhile, the Central government has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Congo, Uganda and South Sudan in view of Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa. In light of the reported outbreaks of Ebola Disease in Congo and Uganda, the World Health Organisation (WHO), under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, on May 17, 2026, determined the situation to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also officially declared the ongoing outbreak of Bundibugyo strain Ebola Virus Disease affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). (ANI)
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