State has dispatched Public Health officers to a Migori county-based school after we exposed a rare disease infestation.
On July 15th, St Peter’s Abwao school parent reached us and complained about a rare skin disease that had infested the school.
After the expose’, health officers have now cleared the school’s dam water for use.
Public health officers have reportedly treated water in a borehole and a tank at St Peter’s Abwao Secondary after over 39 students developed a skin infection last term.
Suna West subcounty public health officer Vincent Lusula said on Tuesday, the water is now safe for use. Lusula led a team of medics at the institution to treat several water points at the school.
“The issue of chemical intoxication was ruled out, so we established that there was a high bacterial load in the water being used in the school. We have so far treated the water and proven it healthy for human use,” he said.
A certificate of analysis from the county public health office indicated “clear soft water but with a very high bacterial load. It may be recommended for domestic use after proper disinfection.”
On July 15, the office collected samples from the school and launched an investigation.
The students were treated and discharged from Migori County Referral Hospital for skin infections, after exhibiting pale and dark patches.
“At first we suspected that the infection might have been caused by venereal disease, but the samples taken for treatment indicated a possible bacterial infection. It might have spread after students shared ablution utensils,” school principal Jacktone Ogolla said.
He said they were satisfied with the results of tests on samples from the government.
“Before we drilled our water source, which is a borehole, officials from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) assessed the area and gave us the go-ahead,” Ogolla said.
Migori county public health officer Kennedy Ombogo told journalists that samples taken from the affected students turned positive for scabies. The three said there was no cause of alarm since the matter is under control.
