Why infectious diseases have been soaring in Kerala Premium

Kerala battles rising cases of hepatitis A, dengue, and leptospirosis, highlighting the state's public health challenges in 2024.

While the Nipah outbreak in Malappuram and the landslides in Wayanad seemed to preoccupy the attention of the State administration all of July and August, infectious diseases have been soaring in Kerala.

And this year (2024), not just vector-borne diseases, water-borne diseases, especially hepatitis A and cholera, have also been spreading in many districts.

Hepatitis A outbreaks in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam districts which began months ago are continuing unabated with new cases being reported on a daily basis. Hepatitis A is linked to poor water quality and contaminated food and this year seems to have been the worst for Kerala.

Since the past two decades, Kerala has been experiencing several large and small hepatitis A outbreaks, along with several fatalities, throughout the year in all districts. The number of probable or epidemiologically-linked-but-not-confirmed cases are at least double the number of confirmed cases every year.

In 2024, Kerala reported 1,073 confirmed cases of Hepatitis A. In 2022, the number of confirmed cases was 231 and probable cases were 894. There were just two confirmed deaths.

In 2024, however, explosive outbreaks were reported from several districts, including Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kannur and Thrissur, even before the monsoon.

As on August 21, 2024, Kerala has reported 4,306 confirmed cases of hepatitis A and 12,958 probable hepatitis A cases. There have been 54 suspected and 41 confirmed hepatitis A deaths. Hundreds of adults who contracted hepatitis A have had to spend thousands of rupees on medical care and continue to suffer from various morbidities.