Health officials in Busia have told the public not to panic even as one man tested positive to the mosquito-borne Dengue fever disease. County Director in Charge of Curative and Rehabilitative Services Dr Janerose Ambuchi said a case of a Somali national who travelled from Mombasa was confirmed positive and admitted at the Busia County and Referral Hospital for two days before being discharged.
“Although Dengue is real and we can be infected us as per this case, people should not panic. We have his contacts and information about his treatment. We are not afraid that he has spread it to other residents of the County,” said Dr Ambuchi, and urged people to use mosquito repellents and sleep under mosquito nets.
“We don’t have the victim here and the vector that causes the disease. People should feel relaxed as they celebrate their Madaraka Day,” she said.
An alert was issued in Mombasa County last week in response to an outbreak of dengue fever.
According to the World Health Organization, dengue is transmitted by the female mosquito of Aedes aegypti, the same species that transmits yellow fever.
Health officials said dengue was first reported in Mombasa in 2013, with 197 suspected cases with 38 cases proving positive. About 590 cases were reported last year.
Dengue fever is a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease by dengue virus. The disease is more prevalent in areas that are crowded and unhygienic.
The dengue infection causes a flu-like illness and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called dengue hemorrhagic fever.
The symptoms associated with the disease include high fever, vomiting, headache, muscle and joint pains and skin rash. They begin three to two weeks after infection while recovery takes two to seven days.