County Dismisses Cholera outbreak amid Upsurge of Diarrhea in local Schools

Embu, Sunday, April 17, 2023  

K.N.A By Justus Anzaya

The County government of Embu has dismissed allegations of Cholera outbreak in Mbeere North schools, after 10 students were rushed to Ishiara Level 4 Hospital complaining of stomach ache on Sunday morning.

Speaking to KNA, Embu County Chief Officer Public Health Daniel Mbogo said that there has been an upsurge of diarrhea among students at Karangare Secondary School in Ishiara Mbeere North pointing out that the area is not connected with piped water.

He said that most of the people at Ishiara consume water directly from Thuci River and suspected that the water is infected with organisms and most homesteads in the area do not treat the water before they consume it.

The Chief Officer suspected that the school which fetches water from Thuci River do not treat it and might be the cause of the upsurge of diarrhea that has been experienced by some students in the school.

He said that the students have since been treated and released back to their school.

The Chief Officer Public Health said the incident is a replica of what is happening in a number of schools in Mbeere North and at Ishiara market where people have been complaining of stomachache and diarrhea.

Recently 10 students from Karangare Secondary School had experienced similar signs and were treated and released from Ishiara Level 4 Hospital.

“The highest number of cases at Ishaira Level 4 Hospital is where people are complaining of diarrhea because of consuming un-piped and untreated water,” he said.

He dismissed any cases of cholera outbreak in the area saying that the County medical team established that the water is infected with giardiasis organism which once a person consumes any infected water with the organism it gets to the stomach as amoeba resulting in stomachache, body weakness and diarrhea.

“We have assured all the students, teachers and all the residents of Ishiara that there is no cause for alarm,” he said.

He advised all the schools in the area to always treat water before they consume it to avoid such cases.

The Chief Officer lauded the county surveillance response team for responding quickly to the issue when Kangare Secondary School management reported the occurrence.

Courtesy K.N.A