•Nationally, 1,350 suspected cholera cases have been reported since January, 72 confirmed positive
•Nairobi, Narok, Kajiado, Machakos, Nyeri and Kiambu counties have reported cholera
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Nairobi has recorded 200 suspected cholera cases since February, of which 12 have been confirmed, the county government reported in an advertisement on Saturday.
Health CEC Mohammed Dagane said 52 per cent of all the reported cases were male and 42 per cent were female.
Last week, Nairobi Hospital either treated or admitted 50 patients.
Kenyatta National and Mama Lucy Kibaki hospitals had six patients each.
Counties near Nairobi have also reported suspected cholera cases. They are Narok, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nyeri.
Dagane said 1,350 suspected cholera cases have been reported countrywide since January with 72 confirmed positive.
Shortage of clean water has identified as the major cause of the disease. Poor sanitation and unhygienic practices in isolated high-risk areas have also contributed to the outbreak.
Yesterday, Dagane said the high movement of people in and out of the county was a problem in containing the disease.
“Nairobi is a trans-county with a high transit population both day and night. This further poses challenges in cholera prevention and control,” he said.
Surveillance has been intensified, he said.
Others measures include activation of risk communication, activation of a media cholera prevention campaign, mapping of water boozers, water drawing points and exhauster trucks.
"The county is distributing aqua tabs and demonstrating water treatment, contact tracing all suspected and confirmed cases, reporting illegal water connections and contamination of clean water through sewer bursts and overflow," Dagane said.
The county government urged the public to take precautions, stating that it was experiencing scarcity and shortage of water due to the delayed rains.
All public hospitals are on high alert.
The CEC said Mama Lucy Kibaki, Mbagathi, Riruta health centre, Mathare and Mukuru kwa Njenga hospitals have been activated as cholera treatment centres and are open for admission.
On Thursday, Nyeri Health executive Rachel Kamau said there was increased danger of cross-border transmission. She said the problem was due to the proximity and frequent interaction between Nyeri and Nairobi as well as other counties.
Kamau said there was a high probability of an outbreak of the deadly bacterial disease if necessary measures were not taken.
As a result, the CEC announced a ban on food hawking, urged residents to avoid roadside eateries and maintain a
She ordered all food outlets to be re-inspected to ensure conformity with the Public Health Act, especially with regard to sanitation.
Health personnel have also been put on high alert and asked to heighten public health surveillance.
“Any suspected cholera case must be reported to the office of the county director of health for further investigations and immediate response,” she directed.
The CEC also directed that all households with no access to treated piped water be supplied with free chlorine tablets to ensure their water is safe.
Residents have also been to properly wash their hands with clean water and soap after visiting a latrine and before handling food.
Other measures include proper disposal of human waste, keeping cooked food covered to avoid contamination by flies and keeping the environment clean. Cholera bacteria thrive in areas with poor sanitation.
It is an acute intestinal infection characterised by sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhoea with an average incubation period of two to three days.
If not promptly and adequately treated, patients can die within hours as a result of severe dehydration occasioned by the loss of a huge amount of fluids and salts.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)