Jaipur, June 12, 2025.
An alarming rise in hepatitis cases has prompted Kerala’s Health Department to issue an emergency alert. The outbreak, mainly affecting Thrissur district, has raised public concern, leading officials to urge residents to take necessary precautions.
By the end of April this year, 3,227 cases of hepatitis have been reported in Kerala and 16 deaths have occurred. Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kozhikode have been the most affected districts. Now Thrissur has become a new center of infection. Last year, 7,943 cases of Hepatitis-A were recorded in Kerala and 81 people died.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis is the second biggest cause of infection-related deaths after tuberculosis. About 1.3 million people die from it every year. This means that approximately 3500 people die every day worldwide from hepatitis. The suddenly increasing cases in Kerala have become a matter of concern.
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, which is caused by viruses, toxins or autoimmune diseases. Inflammation is our body’s response to infection or injury. This is a serious condition that can cause significant damage to the liver.
Initially, Hepatitis can show symptoms like fatigue, pain on the right side of the stomach, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, and mild fever. In chronic hepatitis, symptoms can be more severe.
Hepatitis spreads in different ways. Hepatitis A and E can spread through contaminated food or dirty water. While Hepatitis B and C can spread through blood contact such as sharing needles, unsafe sex, or from mother to child during birth. Hepatitis D occurs when someone already has Hepatitis B, because it needs the B virus.
Cases of Hepatitis A and E increase during summer and rainy seasons because clean drinking water becomes a problem in summers. Food spoils quickly. In fact, bacteria and viruses grow rapidly in hot weather, especially in unhygienic street food or contaminated water. Water shortage or poor water supply can also increase the risk of infection. Therefore, it is very important to drink clean water and eat hygienic food during summers.
