4 hospitalised over cholera in Murang’a

4 people have been admitted at Maragua Level 4 hospital in Murang’a county after contracting cholera.

This brings the total number of residents who have been affected by the outbreak to 12, according to county health promotion officer Danson Mwangi.

The four are said to be from Kamahuha, while three others who have since been treated and discharged are said to have contracted the disease in the neighbouring Kiambu county.

Mwangi confirmed that the county has established an isolation ward at Kaharo health centre in Maragua subcounty, where the patients will be treated to avoid further spread of the disease.

“We are putting in place measures to ensure that the disease is contained,” he said, urging residents to observe strict hygiene to avoid contracting the water-borne disease.

Last month, three residents of Gatura in the neighbouring Gatanga subcounty were treated in various local health facilities after exhibiting symptoms similar to those of cholera.

The county administration confirmed that the three had just returned from a wedding in Kiambu county when they fell sick.

Two other cases reported in Ithiru village, Kandara subcounty, fell sick soon after returning from a visit to Nairobi county and were also treated and discharged.

Residents have now been urged to observe caution while consuming food from roadside kiosks and ensure they consistently wash their hands.

Some parts of Murang’a county have been suffering from bouts of cholera due to lack of clean water services as residents are forced to rely on rivers and boreholes that at times get contaminated.

In 2018, two people died and more than 32 others hospitalised after a similar outbreak occurred in Nyaga village, Gatanga, Murang’a county.