Kerala is developing an "outbreak calendar" to map seasonal and regional disease patterns, a pioneering move to give its public health system predictive power. Announced by Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, the initiative comes as the state battles a deadly Shigella outbreak and faces persistent Nipah virus threats.

Vital Signs

The numbers paint a stark picture of the current public health challenge:

• 135 Shigella cases recorded in Kerala since January 2026, with **4...