PH
An outbreak of cholera has once been officially declared in Narok County after the first case of cholera was confirmed in the county.
County Medical Officer of Health Dr. Francis Kiio said the first case of cholera for this year was confirmed at Narok County Referral Hospital after specimens from a patient who was admitted with signs of cholera were confirmed positive of the disease by the National Public Health Laboratory in Nairobi.
Speaking during a Multi-sectoral Cholera management meeting convened at Narok County Referral Hospital to lay strategies for combating the outbreak on Thursday, Dr. Kiio said the male patient who hails from Total area in Narok town had been admitted at the referral hospital with symptoms similar to those of cholera which has now been confirmed.
He said the patient is said to have travelled to Wajir East where they has been an outbreak and came back on Monday last week only to be hospitalized last Sunday, its suspected he might have contracted the epidemic from Wajir County during this travel.
Health personnel have put him in an isolation ward as his family and other people he has been in close contact with will also be tested and monitored closely.
The confirmation of this case now put Narok County on the list of over 10 counties in the country that are grappling with this scourge now.
This comes barely a year after another cholera outbreak in the county was contained last year. An outbreak of cholera was declared in the county in May last year after several cases of cholera were confirmed.
The medic said all precautionary measures are being taken to avoid the spread outbreak of the diseases by disinfecting the house and environment where the patient was living and various places in the hospital and the town.
Dr. Kiio is now advising the residents to observe high level hygiene by washing their hands after visiting a washroom, before preparing and eating food.
He said Cholera is a dangerous disease caused by bacteria found in the faecal matter and make patients to loss excessive water leading to death within three to four hours of infection if not treated quickly.
The medic urged the residents to always use toilets to dispose all faeces and ensure the toilets they use are clean to avoid the disease.
“It’s also important to ensure all drinking water is boiled and food thoroughly washed before cooking,” Kiio said.
Dr. Kiio also said the health personnel have stepped up surveillance and will also carry out health campaigns to educate the public about cholera.
