The government has been forced to place a whole village into quarantine after a health scare that has so far left 200 people sick.
The Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Murang'a County government imposed a 21-day quarantine order in Kahumbu ward, Kigumo Constituency to prevent further spread of the diseases.
Dr Apollo Kamau, the county's CEC for agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, explained that over 200 villagers became ill on Sunday after eating contaminated meat.
He noted that the order is to prevent the spread of suspected anthrax to neighbouring wards.
Read More
"When we have such notifiable diseases, we are forced to lock the area to prevent further spread of the disease to other neighbouring areas and that it why we have asked the villages to be quarantined," Dr Apollo stated on Monday.
Responding to the health scare, Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata announced that his administration would support the affected villagers throughout the quarantine period. The governor also promised to set up mobile clinics to support them.
“We are mobilizing a mobile clinic that will be stationed in the sub-county for 7 or 14 days. we request that all the people who came into contact with the cow report to the administration so that we can start them on treatment,” Kang'ata stated.
Meanwhile, authorities have launched a manhunt for the person who allegedly certified the meat as safe for human consumption.
Reports allege that the owner of the animal invited a veterinary officer who checked the animal and established that it had ingested a piece of clothing. He thus gave them a nod to sell the meat to villagers who thronged to buy it at affordable prices.
Later, another animal died and another veterinary officer told the farmer that it had anthrax.
Anthrax is caused by a spore-forming bacterium. It mainly affects animals. Humans can become infected through contact with an infected animal or by inhaling spores.
Symptoms depend on the route of infection. They can range from a skin ulcer with a dark scab to difficulty breathing.
