Mwakera Mwajefa
14 July 2008
Nairobi — Public health workers have been put on high alert in Mombasa after a cholera outbreak in other parts of the country.
Mombasa chief public health officer Josphat Maithya Sunday said his department had taken the step because no travel quarantine had been imposed on travellers from affected areas.
"When you hear Nakuru or Kisumu is experiencing such a problem, you don't wait to see it happen in your backyard," he said.
About 40 fruit vendors have been arrested in Mombasa as a precautionary measure to prevent an outbreak.
The official also said he had received an unconfirmed report that a case had been reported in Mariakani about 45 kilometres from Mombasa.
"Whether the report is true or not, we have decided to take steps to ensure no outbreak occurs here," he said.
In the last one week, health officers have been chlorinating wells and boreholes and monitoring piped water to ensure that the water is clean. "We have been sampling piped water for frequent analysis to monitor its safety for consumption," he said.
Council workers have also been spraying detergents on garbage sites in the town and its environs.
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