Yellow fever alert after death of S. Sudanese
What you need to know:
- A Sudanese fleeing his war-torn country has died of suspected yellow fever at a border post.
- “The victim had exhibited signs of yellow fever before he died,” said medical team leader Nelson Lolos.
- The influx of the refugees has also sparked disputes with Kakuma residents over sharing of water and wood fuel.
A Sudanese fleeing his war-torn country has died of suspected yellow fever at a border post.
Medics sent to the area last Tuesday are yet to establish the cause of the death but they are almost certain it is yellow fever.
“The victim had exhibited signs of yellow fever before he died,” said medical team leader Nelson Lolos.
The medics were dispatched to the border after 17 refugees were suspected to be suffering from measles.
The government and humanitarian agencies intend to conduct a vaccination campaign against the two diseases.
“We are still waiting for the results to establish if the cause of death was indeed yellow fever for necessary precautionary measures to be put in place,” said Mr Lolos.
The health team is screening the refugees at Nadapal border point and referring those suspected to be suffering from any of the two diseases to the nearest health centre.
Mr Lolos said another team was at Kakuma camp to educate the refugees on hygiene. More than 500 refugees have been entering Kenya on a daily basis. Humanitarian agencies admit them to Kakuma.
Fighting rages between government troops and rebels allied to former vice-president Riek Machar as peace talks continue in Addis Ababa.
The influx of the refugees has also sparked disputes with Kakuma residents over sharing of water and wood fuel.
The residents accuse the refugees of wantonly destroying the environment by indiscriminately felling trees and encroaching on their water sources.
“Water level within Kakuma camp has become low due to sinking of several boreholes and massive destruction of eco-system,” said Mr Ekuam Ekai, a resident.
