By our correspondent
An outbreak of cholera is putting the coastal city of Mombasa into a state of public health crisis as county authorities start an all out campaign to address the situation.
A mother and a child reportedly died of the disease, 25 other cholera patients are hospitalized in various health facilities.
This latest outbreak of the disease comes hot in the heels of a rainy season which according to health authorities instigated the occurrence of disease-causing pathogens.
County officials have started shutting down unlicensed food vendors and hotels in a campaign to address the relentless outbreak.
County health executive Hazel Koitaba who was quoted by the Daily Nation said: “We are trying to contain the disease so that it doesn’t spread. We have 80 [reported] diarrhea cases but after testing, only 25 were confirmed to have cholera. Today we have two suspected cases whose specimen have been taken for further analysis,”
By Thursday afternoon, officials were conducting a public campaign informing Mombasa residents that illegal food and water vendors will be shutdown.
The county authorities target to eradicate the outbreak by next week and are urging the residents not to panic but enhance personal and institutional hygiene.
Mombasa is synonymous with poor drainage that chocks the water and sanitation systems whenever it rains occasioning outbreak of diarrheal diseases.
