Some residents of Bura-Sub-county division in Tana River County have been suffering from a strange illness with symptoms ranging from loss of appetite, knees grow weak and the victim develops painful wounds in the tongue and mouth making it difficult for one to eat.
Speaking to the press, some of the affected people who were already seeking treatment at Bura Hospital, said the illness started by affecting men and then children hence before other members of the village.
One of the affected residents, Nuru Hassan, said they visited Bura Hospital in large numbers, because the whole Hirimani Ward is affected, and the doctors here say they are yet to establish what kind of the disease is it”.
Hassan also said once affected one feel extreme body temperatures at night, with sharp headaches experienced at least twice in a day.
Speaking to the press on Friday, the Hirimani Ward MCA, Ishmael Kodobo who is also suffering from the strange illness, said, the health personnel in the area are baffled by the ailment and having challenges on how to treat the illness and are only prescribing painkillers and asking the patients to drink lots of water.
Responding to the issue, the Tana River County Director of Health, Dr. Oscar Endekwa said medical staffs in the area were carrying out surveillance in the affected areas, with and effort to establish the cause of illness and the population affected.
Dr. Endekwa said “we will confirm as to what kind of illness it is when the surveillance team completes its findings, at the moment we cannot establish nor speculate,”
By Simon Guruba
