Cholera death toll hits 11 in western Kenya: official


A cholera outbreak has left at least 11 people dead and infected several others in western Kenya, a health ministry official said on Thursday.

They died in the Rift Valley and Nyanza provinces over a period of about two weeks, government spokesman Alfred Mutua said.

The toll includes four who died in Naivasha town, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi, over the past week.

More than 50 have been admitted to hospital over the same period.

Cholera is a waterborne disease which causes serious diarrhoea and vomiting and can be fatal if not treated within 24 hours.

It can be prevented by washing hands before touching food and avoiding contaminated drinking water.

bkb/rt

Kenya-health-cholera

AFP 032040 GMT 07 08


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