Cholera claims four more as toll goes up
What you need to know:
- Residents in affected areas asked to avoid water from contaminated river.
- Death toll reaches 14.
Cholera has killed four more people in Homa Bay and Migori bringing the death toll to 14.
The Red Cross told the Nation on Wednesday that of the new deaths, one occurred at a home while three were in hospitals.
Each of the two counties has now lost seven residents to the disease.
John Roche, the Red Cross county manager for Homa Bay and Migori, indicated that Homa Bay had 23 more infections, bringing the number of those who infected to 143.
Migori has 637 cases.
FORMED RESPONSE TEAM
Homa Bay County’s health executive Lawrence Oteng, said since the first case was reported last week, the devolved unit formed a response team led by the County Director of Medical services, Dr Ojwang Ayoma.
Dr Oteng disclosed that the three who died were among 143 patients admitted in the various rural health facilities in Ndhiwa sub-county.
Mr Roche said the organisation had received complaints from some residents who have lost their relatives that their neighbours had ceased greeting them for fear of infection.
“The situation is getting out of hand and this calls for more intervention. Cholera is not an airborne disease and it is not likely that you will catch cholera just from casual contact with an infected person,” he said.
Mr Roche said the life of one victim Migori would have been saved had the relatives not insisted that she be taken for a prayer session.
He urged the residents to stop drinking water from River Riena or eating vegetables irrigated with its water or eating undercooked fish caught from the polluted water.
River Riena, which divides Homa Bay and Migori counties, has been cited as the main source of the disease.
Speaking on Wednesday, Dr Oteng said as soon as the first case was reported, a cholera outbreak was born.
“The team has since not only stepped up surveillance in the county but is also involved in case managements, contact tracing and general public protection,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Homa Bay county health promotion steering committee held a day-long meeting at the Amref Hall to discuss further ways of tackling the outbreak.
