Kirinyaga health officials on high alert following cholera outbreak
Health officials are on high alert following a cholera outbreak in Kirinyaga County.
Health officials are on high alert following a cholera outbreak in Kirinyaga County.
Dr George Karoki, the county health executive, said seven cases have been detected this month in the Gacaru and Kwavii areas of Ndia constituency.
He said of the cases, one person has been treated and discharged while two others are in stable condition while undergoing treatment at Sagana Sub-county Hospital.
The other four are being monitored pending the results of their laboratory tests.
Dr Karoki noted that cases of cholera, a highly contagious disease, have been on the rise in many counties in recent times, requiring sustained public action to prevent and control the disease.
Following the outbreak, the county government has intensified campaigns against the spread of cholera.
The campaign includes community awareness through public barazas, health education in schools and the use of public address systems in urban centres and villages to share information.
The health executive said the campaign was a multi-agency initiative involving the national government and the Ministry of Education.
Decontaminating homesteads
Besides public health education, the department has also been decontaminating homesteads where cases have been reported.
"We are also providing aqua tabs to enable vulnerable households in the affected areas to treat their drinking water, while at the same time providing protective prophylaxis treatment to people who have been in close contact with cholera patients," he said.
The CEC has also appealed to members of the public to ensure that they follow good hygiene practices such as washing hands with soap and running water, drinking treated or boiled water, eating well-cooked and hot food and disposing of faeces properly.
He also called on all food vendors to ensure that food is prepared and sold under hygienic conditions and appealed to the public to shun food that is hawked without regard to public health standards.
Dr Karoki also warned owners of commercial or residential premises against discharging sewage into rivers as this contributes to water contamination.
Some of the symptoms of cholera that the community has been advised to look out for include watery diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea and lethargy, which should be reported to a health facility immediately.
