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Swine Flu Outbreak In Nakuru County Leaves 1 Dead And 8 Hospitalized

SK 2 years ago 2 min read

Following a swine flu outbreak in the Elementaita, Gilgil district, of Nakuru County, eight people were brought to the hospital, while one kid passed away.

The H1NI1 flu outbreak, for which 142 residents of the Elementaita ward have sought treatment in the past month, has not yet been linked to a specific cause, according to health officials.

Following an outbreak of the virus last month, the isolation ward at Kiptangwany Health Centre in Gilgil Constituency has seen an influx of patients exhibiting HIN1 flu-like symptoms in recent weeks.

Seven young children under the age of five are being treated at this clinic for symptoms similar to the swine flu.

According to health records, infants less than 12 months are the most severely affected, making up 86 of the 142 cases reported, or 61.4 percent.

In less than 24 hours, the health centre has admitted 4 new patients with similar symptoms, though the number of admissions has slightly reduced from 15 patients a day. Health officials say the flu has spread across the 8 villages in Elementaita ward.

“We have admitted patients from Makongo na Ngechahi where 7 patients come from but all the other villages are also affected,” said Veronica Karani, a health officer at Kiptangwany Health Centre.

Since this incidence of the swine flu is not unique, the cause has not yet been determined. The region saw a similar outbreak in 2020.

Some of the patients had symptoms like runny nose, coughing, wheezing, fever, chest pain, and coughing up blood.

The majority of the Elementaita case’s symptoms were wheezing (56.6%), fever (22.1%), and coughing (8.8 percent )

The elderly, those with underlying illnesses like diabetes or high blood pressure, and even pregnant women are susceptible to catching the flu.

The patients must stay in the hospital for 5 to 7 days before they can be discharged, according to the doctors, and some of the patients are put on oxygen for a few hours.