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Four Children Die After Drinking Milk At Fete
- Details
- Published on Monday, 23 July 2007 09:48
The incident that has shocked residents of South Mugirango's Itago division, happened last Friday.
Dr Wycliffe Mogoa attends to Caroline David, 11, as her mother Elizabeth Nyabong looks on at Gucha District Hospital where 39 villagers are admitted after taking contaminated milk.
Elizabeth Otieno, 8, Lameck Ratumo, 7, Nyabonye Mauti, 5 and Nyarangi Ombasa 4 died after taking fermented milk at a party to celebrate the calving of a cow.
The owner of the cow, Mrs Bethsheba Moraa, 55, lost her first daughter Elizabeth Otieno. She said she went to Molo on Sunday to get school fees from her husband who is a watchman, leaving a neighbour to milk the ill-fated cow, which had calved a week ago.
Family members and other relatives then fermented milk from the cow and took it in the celebration that turned tragic.
Gucha District Public Health officer James Ombaye said the milk was prepared by the children, aged under ten years, adding something could have gone wrong in the process.
This is a common ritual among the Abagusii. When a cow calves for the first time, the owner's relatives, neighbours and friends are invited for a party to celebrate and share the milk for the owner to get the community's blessings.
The milk is kept in gourds to ferment for one week before the celebrations.
Medical Officer of Health, Dr James Gisami said the situation was under control but called on the community to prepare food, especially milk, in the highest hygienic standards. "Milk is very delicate and can be a good culture media for bacteria. It must be boiled and not warmed," Gesami told reporters at the home.
Gucha District Hospital's medical Superintendent, Dr Dickson Onchana, told The Standard the patients were admitted on Saturday at 5am with complaints of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness and severe dehydration after taking milk at the feast that started at 2am.
They were diagnosed with food poisoning as a result of contamination of the milk from the bacteria clostridium potulinum.
The patients had to be isolated in their own ward because the illness is contagious.
He said clinical officers had been mobilised from Kisii District Hospital to help contain the situation.
