Ministry of Health confirms Mukumu Girls students ate food soiled with fresh faeces

Fresh feces were found in the food that Mukumu girls high school students ate, according to the Ministry of Health.

In a statement on Friday, Director General for Health Patrick Amoth revealed the information.

“The Ministry wishes to inform the general public that this disease is likely to be a mixture of E. coli and Salmonella typhi which usually occurs if water sources are contaminated with these micro-organisms,” he said.

Warm-blooded organisms frequently harbor the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) in their lower intestines, which can result in food poisoning.

Enterococcus enterica The gram-negative bacteria typhi is what causes typhoid fever.

Amoth noted that additional lab tests for aflatoxin on the grains and pulses produced negative results for aflatoxicosis.

“Laboratory tests for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs) including Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), Leptospirosis and Crimean- Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), Dengue Fever, Rift Valley Fever (RVF) and West Nile Virus have all turned negative,” he said.

“The Ministry is conducting further analysis on these samples to ascertain any other potential cause of this illness, and will communicate the finding of these tests.”

Amoth noted that the illness causes fever, cramping in the stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The ailment appears to have originated on March 1, 2023, he added, adding that further examinations are still being conducted.

According to the DG, 19 students are now being treated in seven hospitals around the nation, and as of April 14 there had been 627 individuals admitted with illnesses.

Those admitted, according to him, are in stable condition.

Four people have passed away from the condition, Amoth continued. Three of the four are Mukumu Girls School pupils, while the fourth is a teacher.

“We at the Ministry of Health send our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones,” he said.

He said the two schools have since closed as further investigations continue.

Amoth said the Ministry dispatched an investigation team on April 1, 2023, from the National level to support the Kakamega County team.

“The team was further backed by a high-level visit of a multi-agency team led by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, and included the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Basic Education, the Governor of Kakamega County, Western Regional Commissioner and the County Health, Education and Security teams.”