A herd of camels in Kitui County. The animals are said to harbor pathogen that cause Kalaazar./Musembi Nzengu.Residents of Kavaani location in
Ngomeni ward, Kitui county are living in fear following an outbreak of the
deadly Kala-azar disease in the outskirts of Mwingi North subcounty.
The community is urgently appealing
to the county government to intervene and contain the spread of the disease
before it results in loss of lives.
Kala-azar symptoms
include irregular fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver
and anaemia.
Other symptoms can include general
weakness, loss of appetite and a grayish discoloration of the skin on the
hands, feet, face and abdomen. Without treatment, the disease is fatal in
more than 95 per cent of cases.
Local cleric Pastor Jeremiah Nyayo last
week expressed the residents’ deep concern, warning that failure to respond swiftly
to the outbreak could lead to serious consequences.
Nyayo, who leads the Mandongoi Full
Gospel Church, said at least three people, including his own brother Kalua
Mwanzia, have already contracted the disease.
“Residents are scared that the
disease might spread rapidly among the people of Mandongoi, Ngomano and
Kasiluni villages in Ngomeni ward in Kyuso subcounty because it is extremely
dangerous,” he said.
“We are staring at possible deaths
if the county government does not intervene immediately. Many locals are poor
and cannot afford treatment if they fall sick.”
The pastor urged county health
authorities to move with speed and launch an emergency response to contain the
situation before more residents are infected.
He claimed the outbreak may have been
triggered by camel herders who recently encroached into the area from the
Northeastern with large herds of camels.
“The camels host pathogens that
cause the zoonotic Kala-azar and when they interact with local communities,
they transmit the disease. The situation is worrying,” Nyayo said.
He said his infected brother has
been admitted at Mwingi Level 4 Hospital.
When we reached out to the Kyuso
deputy county commissioner, Reuben Kimosop, on Thursday, he referred us to the
department in-charge of disease surveillance.
Health chief officer Lyn Kitwan did
not respond to our text message on the Kala-azar situation by the time of going
to press.
