The Ministry of Health is racing against time to contain a Cholera outbreak, which has been reported in six counties.
Kiambu County is leading with 31 cases as of Wednesday, October 19, followed by Nairobi County that recorded 17.
Other affected counties include Uasin Gishu (8), Nakuru (2), Kajiado (2) and Murang'a (1).
13 of the reported cases are still hospitalised while eight were already discharged. 40 others are receiving outpatient care.
Fortunately, no death has been reported since the outbreak first surfaced.
"Of the sixty-one (61) cases so far, thirteen (13) are currently hospitalized, eight (8) have been discharged while forty (40) were treated as outpatients.
"The National Public Health Microbiology Laboratory has isolated Vibrio cholera-01-Ogawa as the responsible serotype," read the Ministry of Health statement in part.
Kiambu recorded the first fifteen cases after the infected persons reportedly consumed contaminated food and drinks at a wedding.
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi then took charge of the matter warning locals on how the disease spreads faster.
“We are announcing this to warn our people to be careful because the bacteria spreads faster. It is important for our people to employ protective measures,” he announced.
This came just months after Kisumu county recorded a total of 319 cholera cases and two deaths in the month of May.
At the time, the cases also spread to Nairobi as well as Kiambu counties which are the epicenters in the latest outbreak.
How to Prevent Cholera
According to the World Health Organisation, maintaining good hygiene and sanitation is the long-term prevention of the disease outbreak.
The Health system should also be on high alert to detect symptoms which gravitate around acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration.
