Kenya: Investigation on into mysterious illness followed by death of high school students

Symptoms including fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea were displayed by those affected by the unknown disease and this started on March 1
Picture for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)
Picture for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)

Kenya's Health Ministry informed that it has initiated a probe into the death of three students and one senior teacher in two secondary schools in the western parts of the country, says a report by IANS. This allegedly happened due to a mysterious illness. 

The two secondary schools where the disease outbreak occurred, have been shut down as the inquiry is happening, Patrick Amoth, the Acting Director-General of Health in the Ministry of Health, said on April 14 Friday.

"As of April 14, 2023, 627 patients have been taken ill while 19 students are currently admitted in health facilities in the region in stable condition," added the director-general while explaining about the situation in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

What have they done so far?
Amoth responded that symptoms including fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea were displayed by those affected by the unknown disease and this started on March 1, Xinhua news agency reported.

Preliminary laboratory investigations on several water, food and human tissue samples collected by the personnel from the Ministry of Health exhibited bacterial strains, including E Coli and Salmonella. He briefed that bacteria strains like E Coli and Salmonella are commonly seen in contaminated water sources with microorganisms and it has the capability of spreading in the areas where people live and eat in proximity.

He also confirmed that lab tests for Ebola Virus Disease, Marburg Virus Disease, Leptospirosis and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Dengue Fever, Rift Valley Fever and West Nile Virus were negative.

He added that personnel from the Ministry of Health are going ahead with further analysis of the collected samples to confirm any possible cause of strange illness and asked the citizens of Kenya to be cautious and inform the nearest health facilities if there are any suspected cases.

The facilities of the affected schools have been examined by a multi-sectoral team and they mentioned immediate precautions to be taken to boost safety of the students.

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