Kenya: 40 die from a combination of Dysentery, pneumonia and malaria in Turkana Central

[Ronan Kelly]

Disease outbreak hits Turkana Central


Updated 4 hr(s) 22 min(s) ago


By Lucas Ng'asike

Medical personnel from Lodwar district have been sent to Kerio division in Turkana Central to save lives of villagers dying from an outbreak of mysterious diseases.

More than 40 people are said to have died from various diseases in the three hideouts the villagers had sought refuge in due to frequent raids at their homes by bandits.

Turkana Central Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Joseph Epem said doctors, nurses and nutritionists have moved to Louwae, Nakoret and Kangirisae to provide medical assistance to victims.

"We have dispatched a team of medical experts to provide treatment to the affected people in the area. The teams will camp there for several weeks to ensure all suspected cases are handled," Dr Epem said.

Epem said laboratory test results have indicated that most victims were suffering from dysentery, pneumonia, and malaria.

On Saturday while speaking to The Standard, Epem ruled out cholera outbreak as earlier reported.

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"We are in total control of the situation since we have moved on the ground to intervene. Diseases outbreaks are normal situation that are manageable and people should not blow it out of the proportion," Nakitare said.

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000046959&cid=4&ttl=Disease%20outbreak%20hits%20Turkana%20Central

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Kenya: 40 die from a combination of Dysentery, pneumonia and malaria in Turkana Central

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Kenya: Dysentery, Cholera Kill 40 Turkana Residents
Mathews Ndanyi
21 November 2011

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The government has confirmed an outbreak of dysentery and cholera in parts of Turkana where 40 people have died in the last one month. Turkana Central medical officer Joseph Epem said they had dispatched a team of more than 50 medical officers and delivered drugs to help combat the outbreak in Kerio division.

However, Epem said the outbreak had been compounded by famine in the area. More than 250 other victims have been placed under treatment. "We treating the affected people to ensure the diseases do not spread," Epem said.

Last week, medical teams had been sent to parts of Turkana to investigate the cause the deaths. Turkana Central district commissioner Humphrey Nakitare said the teams have been working in Kerio area where most of the victims are reported to have succumbed to famine, malaria and diarrhoea, among other ailments.

He said than 100,000 people still rely on relief food for survival in the area where the famine situation worsened early this year, leading to the Kenyans for Kenya Initiative through which more than Sh600 million was raised to aid the famine victims. Kerio division Public Health officer Diana Rotich, said famine had contributed to the deaths in the area.
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