Five suspected dengue deaths reported as Kenya outbreak reaches 1,678 cases

Health officials have intensified measures to control a dengue fever outbreak in the northeastern Kenyan counties of Garissa and Wajir after reporting 1,678 cases and five suspected deaths.

Garissa had accumulated 1,583 cases by Aug. 26, while the neighbouring county of Wajir had reported 95 laboratory-confirmed cases. The health ministry said in its latest report that five suspected deaths recorded in Garissa are under investigation.

The outbreak in Dadaab camp in Garissa accounted for most of the reported cases, with 1,276 infections noted. Health ministry officials reported 251 cases in Garissa township and 56 in Fafi, while most infections in Wajir were reported from Wajir East.

The country was closely monitoring the situation, Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said. She added that both the national and county-level preparedness have been reinforced with specific interventions to limit the spread of the disease.

“Health facilities both at the national and county levels have been placed on high alert. Surveillance, screening and investigations at health facility level as well as community engagement activities on dengue fever have been intensified across the affected areas. Laboratory confirmation of samples collected from suspected cases has been fast-tracked for the severe cases and suspected deaths,” said Dr Muthoni in a press statement.

Residents have been advised to take measures such as eliminating potential breeding sites, avoiding daytime mosquito bites and seeking prompt medical attention if they show symptoms. The outbreak, which began in Garissa in January, is the latest example of the threat posed by mosquito-borne diseases in susceptible populations.