After confirming 61 cases in six of Kenya’s 47 counties, the health ministry issued a cholera epidemic notice on Wednesday.
Ground zero was revealed to be a wedding event in Kiambu County.
As the number of confirmed cases was released, the Ministry of Health asked for increased monitoring in the affected areas.
“The Ministry of Health has verified a cholera outbreak in six counties,” Acting Director-General of Health Patrick Amoth said in a statement. “These counties include Kiambu (31 cases), Nairobi (17 cases), Murang’a (1 case), Kajiado (2 cases), Nakuru (2 cases), and Uasin Gishu (8 cases).
He further stated that 13 of the 61 cases are now hospitalized, eight have been released, and 40 have been treated as outpatients.
The culprit pathogen has been identified as Vibrio cholera-01-Ogawa by the National Public Health Microbiology Laboratory. “It is worth noting that the country’s continuing drought may exacerbate the epidemic.” As a result, the ministry has decided to place all counties on high alert for potential cholera outbreaks,” Amoth added.
