Kisumu County is on high alert after anthrax on Thursday killed one person who ate the meat of an infected cow.
County Director of Health Dickens Onyango said four people were admitted with anthrax symptoms at the county hospital but are currently doing well and will be discharged anytime.
Onyango said they are working with the vet department to control the outbreak.
He said the cow died on July 5 in Molem area in Kisumu East subcounty and of the five people who slaughtered it, four are sick.
“The first person who became unwell unfortunately passed on while in hospital after going late to the facility," he said.
Onyango said 40 people have turned up saying they were exposed to the meat.
He said they have already alerted facilities to be on the lookout and ensure that anybody who turns up with symptoms is attended to immediately.
“We have told them to do public education and create awareness to the communities so if one has such symptoms they are rushed to the hospital and treated immediately,” he said.
He said they are also working on measures to ensure that nobody consumes meat of any cow that has just died out of illness.
The director of health said the cow was infected with Cutaneous anthrax, the most common form of anthrax infection, and also considered to be the least dangerous.
This type of anthrax is common on the head, neck, forearms, and hands. It affects the skin and tissue around the site of infection.
Infection usually develops from one to seven days after exposure. Without treatment, up to 20 per cent of people with cutaneous anthrax may die.
However, with proper treatment, almost all patients with cutaneous anthrax survive.
