The Ministry of Health has disclosed the cause of the mysterious an infectious disease at Mukumu Girls and Butere Boys High Schools in Kakamega County.
The disease whose symptoms include fever, abdominal pain/cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea has so far affected 627 students and left four dead.
According to a statement the ministry released on Friday through the acting Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth, laboratory results have revealed the actual cause of the mysterious disease.
"Preliminary laboratory investigations undertaken have revealed Enterotoxigenic E. coli and Salmonella typhi as the causes of the illness," the statement read.
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"The Ministry wishes to inform the general public that this disease is likely to be a mixture of E. coli and Salmonella typhi which usually occurs if water sources are contaminated with these micro-organisms. The Ministry dispatched an investigation team on April 1, 2023 to support the Kakamega County team."
The team was further backed by a high-level visit of a multi-agency team led by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Basic Education, the Governor of Kakamega County, Western Regional Commissioner, and the County Health, Education, and Security teams.
The Ministry of Education and Kakamega County Government have since closed the two affected schools as further investigations continue.
The Ministry of Health has taken several water, food, and human tissue samples, from which preliminary laboratory investigations have revealed Enterotoxigenic E. coli and Salmonella typhi as the causes of the illness.
The Ministry is conducting further analysis on these samples to ascertain any other potential cause of this illness, and will communicate the findings of these tests.
To further forestall the spread of the infection in the surrounding community in Mukumu and Butere, and to the general public, including students and staff in schools, the Ministry calls on members of the public to observe public health measures.
Such measures include maintaining high standards of personal hygiene by washing hands with soap and running water, treating or boiling all water for drinking and cooking, properly using toilets to safely dispose of feces, and properly cooking all food and eating it while still hot.
The Ministry appeals to all members of the public to be vigilant and seek immediate treatment at the nearest health facility for assessment and prompt management if experiencing fever, abdominal pains/cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.
