Beware of Cholera outbreak in Karen and the rest of Nairobi
As you go about doing your business in the streets and estates of Nairobi, beware of the Cholera outbreak in the city. So far, three deaths related to the Cholera outbreak in Kayole have been reported alongside confirmed five clinical cases of patients admitted in Nairobi hospital. Three other deaths that could be Cholera related have also been reported in Komarock. But don’t be fooled, the affected areas are not just the low income estates of Nairobi.
Speaking to the media to issue a warning to the public regarding the Cholera outbreak in Nairobi, Bernard Muia, Nairobi County health Executive noted, “The index case according to our disease surveillance team is the Karen wedding where the patients and a number of other people had traveled for a wedding. It is presumed that they spread the disease to city residents but we are putting measures in place to avoid the disease from spreading any further”. The hospitalization of the first victims at Nairobi hospital also indicate that those affected come from affluent estates like Karen.
Cholera is a serious infection that causes watery diarrhea, vomiting, and muscle pain. If not treated, the disease caused by some strains of Vibrio cholerae can cause death within two hours after infection – although in most cases it takes two to five days before the first symptom of infection show.
The best way to keep safe is by ensuring that your drinking water is well treated specifically through boiling. According to Muia, infection by Cholera is equivalent to an intake of human fecal matter in its raw form, as the dosage of the bacteria to case an infection is in the order of 100 million bacteria. Right now that almost everyone is equally at risk, affluent or not, it is important for you not to consume any foods and water that you are not sure of its hygienic handling.
