Suspected Cholera Outbreak in School, 16 Upper Hill Students Hospitalized

Sixteen students from Upper Hill School in Nairobi have been hospitalized while sixty were treated and discharged over suspected cases of cholera.

As a result, a multi-agency team comprised of all stakeholders was deployed on Monday, March 6 to carry out a sanitation inspection at Upper Hill School.

Moreover, reports state that several Upper Hill students started vomiting and complaining of stomach upsets after eating rice, beans, and beef on Friday.

The worst affected class was a form three stream, with one Form 4 student also hospitalized. 

According to the report, the Upper Hill students on Friday, March 3 complained that their food that day, which comprised of Rice, beans and beef had a foul smell.

Nonetheless, a total of 90 students were suspected to have contracted cholera, out of this, 60 were treated and discharged from the Mbagathi Hospital.

Also Read: Third Individual Cured of HIV Following Stem Cell Transplant

13 are receiving treatment at the South B Hospital, whereas others are receiving medical care at the Savannah Hospital. 

The Ministry of Education has complained over an acute water shortage experienced in schools within Nairobi County.

Furthermore, the Director of Education in Nairobi, Margaret Lessuda, noted that officials visited the students in hospital and even met some parents. 

Moreover, sanitation officials from the Ministry of Health as well as county government officials were still collecting samples including water and food, from the school for additional tests until late Monday.

Lesuuda says the issue has been worsened by water scarcity in Nairobi, caused by drying boreholes that have strained the water supply. 

According to Ministry of Health data, Nairobi has recorded over 500 cholera cases since October 2022, with 85 fatalities.