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Public health officials in Lamu have issued an alert over an outbreak of diarrhoea in Kiunga that has so far killed three people.
The officials said the infection with symptoms similar to those of cholera has also led to hospitalisation of over 80 people in the last one week.
Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Lamu County Public Health Officer Nurein Dumilla cautioned locals against drinking untreated water, which is one of the ways through which the disease is transmitted.
He said majority of those who had contracted the infection were children under the age of five years.
“The disease is an abdominal infection transmitted through drinking untreated water or eating contaminated food,”said Dumilla.
He said the situation had been aggravated by the dry spell in the area, adding that they are in talks with the county government and National Drought Management Authority to supply the locals with clean water.
“Due to the drought, human beings and animals depend on the same source of water and we believe this is what has led to contamination of the water,” said the health official.
He, however, said they have treated all water wells and boreholes to stop the spread of the disease.
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