A man has died of Rift Valley fever.
Health officials have urge residents to be on the lookout for more cases.
According to doctors at the Siaya County Referral Hospital, the 20-year-old man was brought to the facility bleeding from several orifices and exhibiting other symptoms of the disease.
He had been referred to the hospital from a health centre in Uriri village in Alego Usonga, where he had been undergoing treatment for one week.
The county director of health, Samwuel Omondi, said samples taken from the man and sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute revealed that he had the Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus.
“This is the first case to be reported in this county. It is uncommon in Nyanza and the western region and that is why we strongly believe the floods caused it."
A team of health practitioners has been dispatched to Uriri and its environs, as well as other parts of the county, to conduct surveillance, increase public awareness and monitor the situation.
Affected areas
Residents in the affected areas have been advised to only eat inspected livestock products, including milk and meat, as health officials consult with the livestock department on the way forward.
Mr Omondi said one could get infected through handling of sick animals, either by slaughtering or assisting the animals during labour.
“The other mode of transmission from animals, which is relatively low, is by mosquitoes and other insect bites. We, therefore, encourage everyone not to handle sick animals. Do not slaughter them without alerting veterinary teams or public health officers. We also encourage the use of mosquito nets."
The first outbreak of RVF, which has left several people dead, was reported in the northern regions of the country earlier this month.
