Polio outbreak reported in Garissa, Nairobi at high risk
World Health Organization Kenya Disease Prevention and Control Officer Joyce Onsongo administers a polio vaccine to a child in Kibera, Nairobi. A polio outbreak in Garissa County and a possible risk identified in Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- The same viruses were also detected in environmental samples from sewage in Garissa and Nairobi counties.
- The disease is reported to have been “importation from a neighbouring country.”
The Ministry of Health has announced a polio outbreak in Garissa County and identified a possible risk in Nairobi.
The disease is reported to have been “importation from a neighbouring country.”
Health Principal Secretary Mary Muriuki said in statement yesterday that 14 cases of polio viruses were found in stool collected from children in refugee camps in Garissa County.
The same viruses were also detected in environmental samples from sewage in Garissa and Nairobi counties.
“The confirmation affirms that the country is still faced with a significant threat of polio disease. Polio is a crippling and fatal disease that has no cure; however, it can be prevented and eradicated through vaccination,”reads the statement. “The current polio outbreak is attributed to importation from a neighbouring country and suboptimal routine immunisation coverages in several counties, putting all children at risk of polio disease.”
Following the discovery, the ministry has begun a third round of vaccination that also targets Mandera and Wajir counties. The campaign, which began on January 27 will run till January 31.
“The vaccination campaign targets 755,011 children under the age of five and an additional 238,447 children aged between five and 15 in Fafi and Dadaab sub-counties and all refugee camps in Garissa,” the PS said.
“Parents and the general public are requested to report any child under 15 years presenting a sudden onset of weakness in the hands or legs or both to the nearest health facility. Reports can also be made through the hotlines 0729471414 or 0732353535. The ministry assures the public that all vaccines used in the country, including the polio vaccine, are safe and effective, offering additional protection through multiple rounds.”
As the vaccination goes on, the ministry has called on Kenyan parents to present their children for vaccination.
The public has cautioned to use toilets for disposal of human waste, and adhere to proper hand hygiene practices to disrupt transmission of polio viruses through the faecal-oral route.
According to the Centre for Disease Control, polio is a debilitating and potentially fatal illness caused by the poliovirus. The virus is transmitted through person-to-person contact and can invade the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis (inability to move certain body parts).
Symptoms may include sore throat, fever, fatigue, nausea, headache and stomach pain. A smaller percentage of individuals with a poliovirus infection may develop more severe symptoms affecting the brain and spinal cord:
“Meningitis (infection of the covering of the spinal cord and/or brain) occurs in about one to five out of 100 people with poliovirus infection, depending on virus type. Paralysis or weakness in the arms, legs, or both occurs in about one out of 200 people to one in 2000 people, depending on virus type,” the centre said.
“Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with poliovirus because it can lead to permanent disability and death. Between two and 10 out of 100 people who have paralysis from poliovirus infection die, because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.”
