Thu Mar 06 04:52:29 UTC 2025: **Kozhikode Food Handlers Show High Rate of Occupational Health Issues: Study**

KOZHIKODE, March 6, 2025 – A recent survey of 2,000 food handlers in Kozhikode, Kerala, reveals a concerningly high prevalence of occupational health problems, raising serious public health concerns. The study, conducted as part of the Sanitation and Fitness Evaluation (SAFE) project by KMCT Medical College, found significant rates of typhoid, skin infections, jaundice, cuts, and burns among the workers.

The findings, published in *The Hindu*, indicate that 7.4% of food handlers had a history of jaundice, and 1.4% had a history of typhoid. Laboratory tests showed 7.6% tested positive for Salmonella typhi, the bacteria that causes typhoid fever. Other prevalent issues included paronychia (6.1%), contact dermatitis (3%), and various other injuries. Vaccination rates were also alarmingly low, with only 35.7% having received the tetanus toxoid vaccine, 9.1% receiving the typhoid vaccine, and a mere 2.1% receiving the Hepatitis A vaccine.

The study highlights the need for improved health monitoring and vaccination policies among food handlers, particularly in light of a reported surge in food-borne illnesses in Kozhikode. According to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, the incidence of food-borne illnesses rose from 5.3% in 2022 to 10.1% in 2023, with nearly half of outbreaks linked to contaminated food.

The SAFE project, a collaboration between KMCT Medical College and the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association, issued one-year health cards to all participants. The survey report was presented to P.K. Sasidharan, former head of the Department of Medicine & Hematology at Government Medical College, Kozhikode. The study’s authors urge immediate action to address these issues and prevent further spread of food-borne illnesses.

Read More