Kerala Shawarma Horror: Eatery Tests Positive for Shigella & Salmonella Bacteria; Know All About It

Shigella and Pathogenic Salmonella were found in the shawarma samples that were recently collected from an eatery in the Kasargod district, Kerala. 58 people fell ill and 1 young girl died after consuming food from the same eatery. The girl, 16, identified as Devananda hailed from Karivallor and died while undergoing food poisoning treatment on May 1 at the Kanhangad district hospital.

Officials suggested Devananda had fallen ill after eating chicken shawarma at the eatery. 58 more people fell ill after eating dishes from the same outlet. On May 4, officials said that out of the five patients that had the most serious symptoms, three samples came positive for the bacteria.

Health Minister Veena George said in a statement that pathogenic salmonella was detected in the pepper powder used by the restaurant to make shawarma and has marked the samples as “unsafe” under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Shigella bacteria causes an infection called shigellosis that leads to diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Patients can also feel nauseous and experience vomiting during infection.

While most people automatically recover, others who have severe symptoms might need antibiotics to get well. The infection might last from 2-7 days. Unhygienic practices are the major causes of shigellosis and the spread of shigella. According to medical center Cleveland Clinic, shigella is a very common disease with about 188 million cases per year worldwide in which about 1 million people die. In developed countries, about 1.5 million cases can be observed every year. Poor sanitation leads to the spread of shigella through contaminated food and water, and can also be found in uncooked vegetables and shellfish.

Some ways to stop the spread of shigella bacteria are:

1. Wash food properly and cook raw items well.
2. Wash hands with soap regularly and thoroughly especially before eating and after using the bathroom.
3. Avoid swallowing water in pools, ponds and lakes.
4. Don’t eat from unhygienic places like street vendors and restaurants that don’t follow food safety protocols.

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