Family of seven in Vihiga taken ill after taking sour milk

Mr Lwangu Mbogo and his wife Ruth at Vihiga County Referral Hospital in Mbale on January 20, 2020. His entire family was admitted to hospital after falling ill after taking sour milk for dinner. PHOTO | DERICK LUVEGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • They bought the milk from a local dairy on Sunday evening.
  • They had to bear with the pain until Monday morning when a neighbour rushed them to hospital. 
  • The seven are admitted at Vihiga County Referral Hospital in Mbale.

Seven members of the same family are admitted to Vihiga County Referral Hospital in Mbale after they were taken ill after drinking sour milk which they bought from a local dairy for their dinner on Sunday night.

The seven, a father, mother, their four children and a grandchild from Visiru Village, took the meal and went to bed.

But they woke up to severe stomach aches, bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting. 

Speaking to journalists at the hospital, Mr Lwangu Mbogo, the father, said they bought the milk on Sunday evening.

"After spending much of the day in church, I advised my wife to get us some sour milk for a quick dinner. She bought three cups which we took with ugali," Mr Mbogo said from his hospital bed on Monday morning.

HOSPITALISED

He said that at around 2am, one child woke up complaining of stomach ache and vomiting.

Mr Mbogo said he was the second one to experience the problem and, soon after, the rest of his family started showing the same symptoms.

He said they had to bear with the pain until Monday morning when a neighbour rushed them to hospital. 

Dr Arnold Mamadi, the chief health officer at the hospital, confirmed that they had received seven patients from the same family suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting and severe stomach aches.

He said that they were attended to and are currently admitted to the hospital for further observation as doctors determine the cause of their illness.

"They are in a stable condition but under observation. We have sent public health officers to the home and the dairy factory to ascertain what could have led to the severe health situation," said Dr Mamadi.