The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KeMRI) on Thursday, September 26, sent shivers across Kisumu City after confirming the outbreak of Cholera - a disease known to kill within hours if unchecked.
"Kemri confirms cholera outbreak in Kisumu City," the Daily Nation reported.
At least one person died, and 31 others were rushed to health facilities following the outbreak in the lakeside county, KBC stated.
This comes as services remain disrupted in the county as health workers stayed away from their stations.
The on-going doctors’ strike in the county has paralyzed activities in all public hospitals leaving patients unattended and stranded.
Cholera is a disease caused by bacteria that produce watery diarrhoea that can rapidly lead to dehydration and death if left untreated. It is most frequently transmitted by water sources contaminated with the causative bacterium Vibrio cholerae, often through contaminated food.
The director of medical services Dickens Onyango while confirming the incident said the government had put in place measures to combat the disease and avoid its spread to neighbouring towns.
Four of those exhibiting cholera symptoms were admitted at Gita Hospital in Kajulu where the first case was reported.
Locals pointed at River Awach as the most likely source of the outbreak, citing lack of toilets and piped water in the locale.
