A Kenyan governor has banned eating raw food and shuttered businesses that sell food from residences in and around Nairobi after a deadly cholera outbreak in the city’s Kibera slum.
Eight people from Kibera have died from the bacterial disease and about a hundred others were hospitalized Friday, local reports said.
“Nairobians should avoid eating food which is not cooked. Food hawking is also not allowed in the city. This will help contain the spread of cholera,” Evans Kidero, Nairobi’s governor said.
Over the past month, Kenya experienced heavy rainfall and flash floods which submerged towns and several villages, claiming lives. The recent floods are believed to have contaminated water sources hence prompting the spread of cholera.
Poor drainage and sewerage systems, dirty water and food are said to be the main cause of the outbreak.
Cholera is an infection of the intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It can be treated but can cause death quickly due to acute dehydration.
