Shigella, E. coli bacterial presence found in water samples from Cheruvathur

The presence of shigella bacteria has been found in the water samples collected from a borewell and an open well at Cheruvathur in Kasaragod district, where a 16-year-old girl recently died after eating shawarma, a chicken dish.

The samples were examined at the Regional Analytical Laboratory, Kozhikode. Twelve of the samples were found to have the presence of E.coli bacteria and five had shigella. The samples were collected on May 4 after the girl died and around 50 people were taken ill. A release from the Kasaragod Medical Officer said preventive steps such as chlorination of wells had been taken up in the grama panchayat limits. More water samples would be examined if required.