Five cholera cases confirmed in Murang’a County
A child washes hands under clean running water on June 29, 2022. Five cases of cholera have been confirmed in two sub-counties of Murang’a since October 11, 2022
Five cases of cholera have been confirmed in two sub-counties of Murang’a since October 11, 2022.
Three of the patients have been treated and discharged from the hospital while the other two cases are still active.
The County Health Promotion Officer Danson Mwangi has confirmed that the first three cases were reported in the Gatura area of Gatanga Sub County, and the victims were among a group of people who attended a wedding in Limuru, Kiambu County.
He added that the other two cases were from Ithiru Ward of Kandara Sub-County. The two are still recuperating in the hospital.
Mr Mwangi said health officers have been deployed to monitor the situation and stop the spread of the disease.
“We have trained a team which is already on the ground to educate members of the public about the disease and how they can stop the spread of cholera.
“We are encouraging people to frequently wash hands using clean water and soap and avoid eating cold foods,” he added.
The health officers, Mr Mwangi noted, are following up the cases and ensuring residents with cholera-like symptoms get urgent medical attention.
“We have also provided a toll number 0800 721 020 for people to call when they suspect a cholera case so the medical team can take urgent action.” Stated Mwangi.
He called upon neighbouring counties to take precautions to ensure cholera does not spread from one county to another.
“The first cholera cases were identified in Kiambu County and it’s easy to control the disease from spreading to neighbouring counties. Murang’a is neighbouring Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Machakos and Nyeri counties,” said the medic.
County Disease Surveillance Officer Chris Kinyanjui decried increased food establishments which are not observing health standards.
He observed that food hawking can easily lead to the spread of cholera due to poor food handling.
He called on residents to ensure they source food from clean places and wash their hands well before eating.
“We encourage food vendors to ensure they have enough water to clean the food before preparing it. They should cover their food all the time to avoid being contaminated by flies and also ensure they have clean toilets,” he added.
