An influenza outbreak is underway: here's how to protect yourself

The rainy and cold weather provides a fertile breeding ground for respiratory illnesses. [Courtesy]

As the sirens of Nairobi downpour seem to ease a bit, a silent respiratory threat may be underway as residents come to terms with one of the city's deadliest flood yet. While the city's death toll climbed to 43 following a weekend of heavy rains that nearly submerged neighborhoods and roads it into The Lost city of Atlantis, the Ministry of Health has issued a warning.

In a comprehensive briefing from the Ministry of Public Service through the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) in collaboration with county governments, a public health advisory was issued following a noted spike in respiratory illnesses across the country.