Leptospirosis, hepatitis A, and shigellosis have seen a drastic rise in Kerala in the past three years. Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) cases and deaths more than doubled in the past two years even as a high number of mumps cases too were reported in 2024.
These were assessed using the data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the Health department and the information made available through an RTI query.
There were 3,525 confirmed cases of leptospirosis and 226 deaths in 2024. Probable cases and deaths were 2,479 and 166, respectively. There were 2,417 confirmed cases and 133 deaths in 2023. Probable cases and deaths were 2,769, and 149, respectively. In 2022, there were 2,482 confirmed cases and 121 confirmed deaths. Probable cases and deaths were 2,833 and 169, respectively.
Change in pattern
K.K. Purushothaman, public health expert, points out that the deaths due to leptospirosis have gone up in recent times and there has been a change in their pattern compared with previous years. “We need to probe the role of the bodily fluids of dogs, cats and cattle, along with that of rats, in spreading the infection. Other than agriculture workers and those residing in slums, people in urban areas too are infected now. Late detection is another problem leading to more deaths,” he claims.
There were 7,966 cases of hepatitis A and 84 deaths and in 2024. Probable cases and deaths were 20,692 and 14, respectively. Compared with this, the confirmed cases and deaths in 2023 were 1,073 and 14, respectively. Probable cases and deaths were 3,508, and one, respectively. In 2022, there were 231 confirmed cases and 894 probable cases, and two confirmed deaths and one probable death. There were 74,908 mumps cases in 2024 while the data for 2022 and 2023 are not available.
PAM and rabies
Another public health expert flags the new or rarely reported infections such as monkey pox. No cases of PAM were reported in Kerala in 2022. However, two cases of PAM and two deaths were recorded in 2022. There were 38 cases and eight deaths in 2024. There has been a rise in rabies cases as well over the years. There were 15 cases and as many deaths in 2022, 17 cases and deaths in 2023, and 22 cases and deaths last year.
As many as 119 cases of shigella dysentery infection and one death were reported in 2024. The corresponding figures for 2023 and 2022 were 90 and one, and 83 and four, respectively. Dr. Purushothaman claims that there has been a change in the causes of the disease, in the past decade. “New strains of the shigella virus, such as shigella flexneri and shigella sonnei, are being reported. In many cases, the doctors are unable to identify it as shigella infection as there is only watery stools without any blood or mucus. The disease fast progresses into death. Death due to diarrhoea used to be a single digit in the State for a long time. It has gone up to 12 in 2024,” he says.
Published – April 19, 2025 08:24 pm IST
