Malaria case reported in Kerala’s Kozhikode amid Nipah and Shigella concerns

Kozhikode, Kerala: A case of malaria was reported in the district on June 15 (Monday). The patient, an inter-state worker from Madhya Pradesh, has been diagnosed with the infection in Thikkodi.

Health department officials have initiated preventive measures in the area following the confirmation of the case.

Last month, health authorities in Kerala had issued an alert over the prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases during the summer months. A separate malaria case had also been reported on April 25 from Thrikkakkara in Ernakulam district.

The latest case comes at a time when the district has also been reporting Shigella infections and monitoring Nipah-related developments.

Nipah surveillance continues, no new cases reported

No new Nipah cases have been reported in Kozhikode district, Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan said on Monday. He also stated that no fresh contacts have been added to the surveillance list.

In a statement, the minister said the patient undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital remains on ventilator support. The second dose of monoclonal antibody therapy has been administered in line with ICMR guidelines.

A second test result of a healthcare worker included in the primary contact list has returned negative.

Of the seven persons admitted for observation, two close relatives of the patient were discharged on Monday after their symptoms subsided. Their earlier test results had already returned negative, the minister said.

Another close relative, earlier placed under quarantine, was admitted to the medical college hospital for observation on Sunday.

At present, six persons remain under observation in the hospital, while the sample of another healthcare worker from the contact list has been sent for testing.

According to the Health Department, 103 persons are currently on the contact list. This includes four very high-risk contacts, 14 high-risk contacts and 85 low-risk contacts. The list also includes 45 healthcare workers.

As part of intensified surveillance, a central team visited a private hospital in Feroke where the patient had first sought treatment. Field visits were also carried out in 46 households in Division 5 of Ramanattukara municipality, where the infection was reported.

The latest confirmed Nipah case in the state was reported on June 11 in a 43-year-old man from Ramanattukara.

Nipah is a zoonotic virus transmitted from animals to humans, with fruit bats identified as the natural reservoir. Human-to-human transmission has also been documented in certain cases. The infection can cause severe respiratory illness and encephalitis and carries a high fatality rate.

Shigella infection claims child’s life, cases rise in state

A seven-year-old child from Pookkottur in Kozhikode district died of Shigella infection on Monday, marking the fourth fatality due to the disease in Kerala this year, health officials said.

The deceased, identified as Arjav, died while undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. He had been admitted on June 12 with fever and diarrhoea and was later diagnosed with the bacterial infection.

Officials said this is the fourth Shigella-related death reported in the state this year and the third in June alone.

According to data from the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), 138 confirmed Shigella cases have been reported in Kerala till June 14, with the highest concentration in Kozhikode district.

In addition, 77 suspected cases have also been reported across the state. In June alone, 62 confirmed cases and 17 suspected cases were recorded, officials said.

Three fresh confirmed cases were reported on June 14.

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.