Wayanad: No new Shigella cases were reported on Saturday from the hill district, where the bacterial infection first came to light after hundreds of students at an aided school fell ill, officials said.
However, 10 more suspected cases were admitted to the hospital, they said.
District Medical Officer Dr K T Rekha said in a statement that disease surveillance, as well as prevention, control and awareness activities, were being carried out intensively across the district.
The DMO said the condition of all 16 children who tested positive for the infection was stable and that 538 people in the district had so far been found to be symptomatic.
Of them, 10 were admitted to hospital on Saturday, while seven others were discharged, bringing the number of people undergoing treatment in various hospitals across the district to 23, the statement said.
It further said that, as part of field-level disease surveillance and prevention activities, health workers visited 3,095 houses, chlorinated 1,766 wells and distributed 1,225 oral rehydration solution (ORS) packets.
As part of awareness activities, 1,782 notices were distributed at the field level, the statement added.
The district administration has urged anyone showing symptoms of the infection to immediately inform health workers and seek treatment at the nearest health centres to prevent the spread of Shigella, it said.
The DMO also urged the public to strictly follow the precautionary guidelines and preventive measures issued by the Health Department.
Shigella is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps. It spreads primarily through contaminated food or water, as well as through contact with infected individuals.
