KASARGOD: Shigellosis or shigella bacteria infection killed Devananda (16), who was hospitalised after having shawarma, said Kasaragod district medical officer Dr A V Ramdas. At least 52 persons had fallen sick after eating shawarma from Ideal snacks bar in Cheruvathur on April 29 and 30. Devananda, according to the police, had shawarma from the eatery on both days.
Of the 51 persons under treatment, seven were at intensive care units in three hospitals, said Dr Ramdas. The presence of shigella was established after samples of blood and stools of the food-poisoning victims were tested at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, he added.
Most of the patients under treatment were in the 10-20 age group. The youngest victim was a 2.5-year-old girl, and the oldest was a 39-year-old man. Shigellosis is very contagious and the public should maintain eating and food hygiene, Dr Ramdas cautioned.
What is shigellosis?
Shigellosis is an intestinal infection caused by the shigella family of bacteria, explained Kasaragod district medical officer Dr A V Ramdas. Diarrhoea is the main symptom of the infection. “This is more serious than the usual loose-motion,” he said. It can spread by consuming unclean water, spoilt food, unwashed fruits and vegetables, or closely interacting with shigella-infected persons, he said. The infection can be fatal for children below the age of five years and those with weak immunity. “If the public is not careful, shigella can spread very quickly,” he said. Symptoms: Diarrhoea, stomach pain, fever, vomiting, fatigue, and blood in stools are a few common symptoms of the infection.
Police make third arrest, issue lookout notice
The Kasaragod police have arrested the manager of the outlet, Ahmed, and issued a lookout circular against shop owner Kunhahamed, who had left for Dubai before the cases of food poisoning came to light. Officers had earlier arrested the shawarma-maker Sandesh Rai and Anex M, a junior partner of the snacks bar, and charged them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Both were remanded in judicial custody. In the early hours of Monday, unidentified persons had set on fire a Maruti Omni van belonging to the snacks bar. A mob also threw stones at the shop, breaking its window panes. Chandera police registered a case in connection with the arson attack.