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Kenya: Cholera Outbreak - Jan 2019

Status
Past
Countries
Kenya
Disaster types
Epidemic

On 22 January 2019, the Kenyan Ministry of Health notified WHO of a cholera outbreak in Narok and Kajiado Counties located along the northern border of Tanzania. The outbreak was first detected on 2 January 2019 in Narok county followed by Kajiado County one week later. Following investigations, it was determined that the initial cases started after a communal meal and the outbreak was subsequently sustained by poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions in the affected areas. Environmental samples collected by the investigational teams demonstrated that a river shared by both counties was contaminated by surface water runoff which was thought to be soiled by human waste due to widespread open defecation in the vicinity. (WHO, 14 Apr 2019)

Since January 2019, nine of the 47 Counties of Kenya reported cholera cases, namely: Kajiado, Nairobi, Garissa, Machakos, Mandera, Embu, Narok, Wajir, and Mombasa Counties. The outbreak remains active in six Counties: Nairobi, Garissa, Kajiado, Wajir, Mombasa and Machakos. From January to 14 July 2019, a total of 3433 cases including 24 deaths (CFR 0.7%) have been reported, of which 141 cases have been laboratory-confirmed. (WHO, 21 Jul 2019)

Cholera outbreaks have also been reported with a total of 10 counties being affected since the beginning of the year. Over the same period, a total of 3,847 cases have been reported out of which 163 were confirmed. Some 26 deaths have been reported, a case fatality rate of 0.7 percent. (IFRC, 9 Sep 2019)

In week 45 (week ending 10 November 2019), 31 new suspected cases were reported from Nairobi (22 cases), Wajir (6 cases), Garissa (3 cases). Since January 2019, 12 of the 47 Counties of Kenya reported cholera cases, namely: Embu, Garissa, Kajiado, Kisumu, Machakos, Makueni, Mandera, Mombasa, Nairobi, Narok, Turkana and Wajir Counties. The outbreak remains active in three counties: Garissa, Nairobi and Wajir.(WHO, 17 Nov 2019)

In week 51 (week ending 22 December 2019), 91 new suspected cases were reported from, Garissa (51 cases), Turkana (35 cases) Mandera (3 cases) and Kirinyaga (2 cases). Turkana county is experiencing the third wave of the outbreak this year. Since January 2019, twelve of the 47 Counties of Kenya reported cholera cases, namely: Embu, Garissa, Kajiado, Kisumu, Machakos, Makueni, Mandera, Mombasa, Nairobi, Narok, Turkana and Wajir Counties. The outbreak remains active in four counties: Garissa, Mandera, Turkana and Kirinyaga. (WHO, 5 Jan 2020)

In week 7 (week ending 16 February 2020), 62 new suspected cases were reported from Turkana county. Since 1 January 2020, cholera outbreak has been reported in three counties namely: Garissa, Wajir and Turkana. Cummulatively, a total of 253 cases with no deaths have been reported. The outbreak in all the three counties is a continuous wave from 2019. The transmission is active in all the affected counties.. (WHO, 8 Mar 2020)