Seven more people have died of Rift Valley fever, bringing the toll to
26 in the past one month, a report from the Ministry of Health’s
Disease Surveillance and Response Unit says. Six people died in Wajir
while one person succumbed in Marsabit. Some 24 cases were reported in
Wajir and two in Marsabit. Siaya County on Friday issued an alert
after one person died from the mosquito-born disease, which was
confirmed by tests at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri).
“Tests for Ebola and Marburg virus were negative,” Dr Omondi Owino,
Siaya’s chief officer for Health, said. The Health ministry report
says males were the most affected, at 70 per cent. The most affected
age group is 21-30 years. Wajir extends meat ban Based on enhanced
surveillance of Rift Valley fever-like syndromes in humans and
livestock, six counties have been identified as having the highest
risk of an outbreak, including Tharaka-Nithi, Garissa, Tana River,
Lamu, Garissa, Kajiado and Baringo. Mombasa and Nairobi are on
heightened alert due to the risk of imported human and animal cases.
The outbreak was first reported in Eldas Sub-County, Wajir, with a
sample sent to Kemri testing positive for the virus on June 7. The
report said the outbreak was prevalent in insecurity-prone regions and
this might make it difficult to contain the virus. “The communities
are hard to reach (due to their nomadic lifestyle) and they depend
majorly on animal products and have difficulties in accessing
alternative diets,” the report said. The ministry has formed a team of
experts from government and non-governmental organisations to provide
technical guidance to counties. “Counties affected have been directed
to send blood specimens to Kemri for confirmation while the ban on
movement and slaughter of animals from the affected and at-risk
counties put in place,” Dr Okunga said. The ministry has provided
500,000 doses of RVF vaccine to high-risk counties based on risk
analysis while the indoor residual spraying and animal spraying with
pyrethroids is being carried out at the epicentre. However, vector
surveillance and control for humans and animals in high-risk counties
are yet to start.
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