This archive report was first published on 4 October 2019.
On October 4, 2019, Starehe Girls Centre in Nairobi was closed after an outbreak of an unknown disease left 52 students isolated.
The Nairobi Regional Director of Education, Jared Obiero, announced that the school would reopen on Monday, October 7, 2019.
According to a statement from the school, the affected students exhibited symptoms including a high-pitched cough, sneezing, and low-grade fever.
"Dear Parent/Guardian, further to the previous communications to you on the health situation in the school, you are hereby informed that all students will get a short break. This is as recommended by the Ministry of Health. Please make arrangements to pick your daughter immediately and not later than 12 noon today (Thursday)," a statement by the secretary of the board of management read.
Doctors from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Response Department collected samples for analysis at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), with results expected on October 4, 2019.
Health officials, Nairobi City County, and volunteer doctors from the Starehe community were monitoring the situation at the school.
