Alarm in Kenya, unknown disease causes 9 deaths and 80 hospitalizations. “Yellow Eye Symptoms”

Due to a “illness unknown» that in the north of Kenya has affected the population of the Laisamis area in the last two weeks, at least nine people have died and 80 are hospitalized in “serious” conditions in Marsabit County: writes the website of the Citizen TV broadcaster citing official sources.

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Symptoms

According to statements by the local health authorities, most of the deaths would have occurred in the grazing areas and from the symptoms “it could be a form of violent malaria, given that the patients would have accused yellowish eyes, an enlarged spleen, severe headaches and flu symptoms”.

The notice

The Marsabit Department of Health has confirmed that teams of disease surveillance experts and laboratory technicians are working to identify the cause of the outbreak.

The appeal

Moses Galoro, the Marsabit County health officer, has called for urgent action to prevent further fatalities. Preliminary tests have indicated the possibility of a violent malaria outbreak, according to local media reports.

The victims

According to Chief Galoro, six adults and three children between the ages of one and three died of the disease. Those affected had a history of traveling outside of Marsabit County, coming from satellite camps in the Archers Post and Merille areas. Of the 27 patients screened, only five tested positive for malaria.

The hypothesis

However, doctors say that visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar disease, cannot be ruled out. Visceral leishmaniasis is characterized by irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, enlarged spleen and liver, and anemia. It can be fatal if left untreated in over 95 percent of cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease was first reported two weeks ago and has continued to wreak havoc in the region. Chief Galoro has called for urgent virological testing and mass screening of residents to establish the exact cause of the deaths and to avoid further casualties. The outbreak comes two months after the Kenya Medical Research Institute detected an invasive mosquito species in the Laisamis and Saku areas of Marsabit County.

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