The death toll from a cholera in several parts of the country has risen to 65, after at least two inmates died at the Shimo la Tewa Maximum Prison on Wednesday. Three other inmates have been admitted at Coast General Hospital for treatment.
Health officials have visited the facility to contain the spread of the disease. Mombasa County has reported cases of cholera that has claimed lives of at least four people in Likoni and Kisauni area
Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia had earlier in the week confirmed that there have been at least 3,234 cases reported across the country. He attributed the spike in infections and deaths to the aftermath of heavy flooding which began in April. Macharia said the outbreak, which started in Nairobi on December 26, 2014 has since spread to 11 out of 47 counties in Kenya, adding that a prolonged dry spell, poor hygienic practices and inadequate health facilities worsened the spread of cholera.
At the same time the Kiambu County Government has intensified surveillance, public awareness and provision of water treatment chemicals to halt cholera infections. Kiambu has had 52 suspected cases reported between May 5 and May 12. Kiambu County Public Health Officer Ferdinand Milliano confirmed one person had died since the first case was diagnosed on May 7. The Kiambu County Health team launched investigations into 44 cases where 4 tested positive, 37 negative, while the results of three cases are pending.
“The suspected cases were drawn from Murang’a, Nairobi, Machakos and Kiambu Counties. The patient who died was from Kiandutu, Thika Sub-County. All the other 3 were from Nairobi County,” said Milliano in a report outlining steps taken to ensure early detection. The cholera outbreak was initially reported in Migori but later spread to Nairobi, Murang’a Kiambu and Mombasa counties.
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