This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
Kenya has been grappling with a cholera outbreak since the onset of the current long rains, which has claimed at least 13 lives, according to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
Speaking on the situation, Kagwe attributed the outbreak to poor sanitation after floods contaminated water points, exposing residents in affected areas to waterborne diseases.
He noted that the outbreak started in Garissa and gradually spread to three other counties, including Wajir, Turkana, and Muranga, before being reported in Marsabit last month.
“Although the government is focused mainly on COVID-19 outbreaks, it is essential to address disease outbreaks since COVID-19 affects those with compromised immune systems and underlying conditions,” Kagwe said.
Public health teams from local county governments and the Ministry of Health are working to control the reported 550 cases, with 268 in Marsabit and 222 in Turkana.
Regrettably, Kagwe noted that most of the cases, 40 percent, and 70 percent of the deaths, have been among children aged 10 years and below.
The Ministry is working closely with the County Governments of Marsabit and Turkana to contain the situation, which Kagwe believes is feasible given the outbreak's localized nature.
As for COVID-19, Kagwe noted that the virus is exhibiting new, less typical symptoms globally, including sudden strokes in young people and multi-system inflammatory symptoms similar to Kawasaki Disease and toxic shock syndrome in children.
However, these cases have largely been confined to the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and the United States, and have not been seen in Kenya.
“We need to be aware of these developments, as in each of these cases tested for antibodies, the results were positive, indicating that the patients had been exposed to COVID-19,” Kagwe said.
He also noted that there is a growing number of patients exhibiting non-typical flu-like symptoms, such as gastrointestinal distress syndrome leading to loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, delirium, and chickenpox-like lesions.
“We have increased our testing capacity by about 40 percent over the past two weeks, and we intend to continue with this escalation. I urge the public and our medics to be aware of these symptoms,” Kagwe said.
He also warned that patients can suffer infections more than once, as the virus can re-occur between 30 to 50 days after initial recovery, particularly in patients with compromised immune systems.
By Wangari Ndirangu
