Over 200 fall ill in Kisii as health authorities investigate mystery outbreak
The mysterious illness has left residents experiencing severe diarrhea with bloody stools, fever, and intense headaches, with symptoms persisting for the past two weeks.
Panic has gripped three villages in South Mugirango, Kisii County, following an outbreak of an unidentified disease that has left more than 200 residents suffering from severe symptoms.
The disease, detected about three weeks ago, has spread to three Villages in Kisii including Nyabigege, Nyamarondo and Nyarigiro.
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The mysterious illness has left residents experiencing severe diarrhoea with bloody stools, fever, and intense headaches, with symptoms persisting for the past two weeks. Several families have reported multiple cases within households, with those affected relying on antibiotics from local health facilities, though with little improvement.
“I’ve gone to the hospital several times. I get medication, but when I come back home, it gets worse. I go back to the hospital again, get more medication, but it doesn’t improve,” one of the affected persons told Citizen TV.
Reports indicate that at a nearby orphanage, more than 15 children were rushed to the hospital after developing similar symptoms.
Several patients have also been admitted to Tabaka Mission Hospital, Nyatike Level Two Hospital, Prina Hospital, and Royal Hospital in Rongo as the situation escalates.
MoH blamed
Residents have now blamed the Ministry of Health for what they described as neglect.
“The infected and the non-infected are living together, and eventually, the father, the mother, the children—everyone in the household—gets infected, along with anyone who comes into contact with them. Yet, we are still treating the disease as if it is a normal illness,” X user Patrick Mwongera said.
“There are speculations that it could be cholera, that it could be caused by contaminated water or something else, but these are just speculations.”
A multi-agency government team, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has advised those affected to seek immediate medical attention as authorities await laboratory results from the Government Chemist.
Health officials have also urged locals to boil drinking water as investigations continue into the source of the outbreak.
The Ministry of Health has further deployed a team of medical experts to South Mugirango to investigate the outbreak and reinforce the county government’s efforts to contain the disease.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni confirmed the deployment, stating that experts would conduct thorough investigations based on samples collected from affected individuals.
Speaking at an AIPCA church event in Mwea, Kirinyaga, Muthoni reassured the public that the ministry had intensified surveillance and screening efforts to establish the cause of the outbreak.
“We have sent a team to work with county health officials in Kisii to determine the source of this illness. We are waiting for laboratory results to guide the next steps,” she said.
She noted that authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, urging residents to take necessary precautions as investigations proceed.
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