CHOLERA ALERT IN KISUMU

KISUMU, KENYA: Kisumu County is on high alert following the outbreak of cholera in neighbouring Homa Bay and Migori counties.

The devastating disease has so far claimed eight lives while hospitalising another 166 people across three counties including Nairobi.

Even though a Multi-Agency Outbreak Co-ordination Committee has been formed by the Ministry of Health to assess the situation and advise on response, there are fears that the disease could escalate to other neighbouring counties, including Kisumu.

Speaking on Friday, Kisumu City Manager Doris Ombara warned residents against buying foods sold on the streets, saying such foods could be exposed to the disease.

‘‘Since food hawkers on the streets lack toilets and clean water while others operate without licenses, they risk exposing consumers to the deadly disease. We are encouraging buyers to shun taking foods sold by them until the disease is contained,’’ she said.

‘‘Some of the vendors have been to counties where cholera started and risk passing the germs through food contamination,’’ she added.

In the past years, the Government intensified crackdown on illegal vendors, but since the county government took over the health docket, high numbers of illegal food sellers have emerged in the region.

Ms Ombara put vendors on notice, saying the county has instructed its Public Health officials to crack down on vendors and illegal food sellers, to help thwart further spread of the disease.

‘‘Owing to devastating nature of the disease, it will be difficult and costly for us to contain the disease should it attack. We are therefore not leaving anything to chance to ensure residents’ safety,’’ she said.

According to experts, food vendors who do not observe good sanitation and hygiene like washing hands, avoiding open defecation, can transmit the disease to others.

‘‘Food handlers who are sick but keep working can pass the disease on by touching both vegetables and meat they are selling,’’ said  ILRI's Coordinator of Safety Food Kristina Roesel.

Roesel noted that the provision and use of chlorinated water could help in reducing the risk of cholera spread through food markets.

The Government attributes the cholera outbreak to the dry spell season, which has led to water scarcity in many parts of the country. 

In Migori, the county Government has banned funeral feasting as well as street food sellers while in Kisii where the disease has not been witnessed, the local Government has also banned food hawking