A school in Embu County has been closed after 35 students were diagnosed with a strange disease.
Moi High School Mbiriru, a school located in Runyejes has been closed for a week as the administration tries to deal with the outbreak of Hepatitis ASudden outbreak of Hepatitis A.
35 Students have been affected by the viral liver disease which has forced the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Health Ministry in the county to call for the indefinite closure.
“Dear Parent/Guardian It has been confirmed that there is an outbreak of HEPATITIS A in the school. So far 35 students have been affected,” reads part of a memo sent to parents.
The County Health Dept. has advised that the school closes temporarily from Sat, 13/7/19 to Fri, 19/7/19 to minimize further exposure.
Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The virus is primarily spread when an uninfected (and unvaccinated) person ingests food or water that is contaminated with the faeces of an infected person.
The disease is closely associated with unsafe water or food, inadequate sanitation, poor personal hygiene and oral-anal sex.
The hepatitis A virus is one of the most frequent causes of foodborne infection. Epidemics related to contaminated food or water can erupt explosively.
Moi High School Mbiruri in Embu closing tomorrow over Hepatitis A, 35 cases confirmed. Health Dept. has advised that the school closes temporarily from Sat, 13/7/19 to Fri, 19/7/19 to minimize further exposure.
— Daily Trends KE (@DailyTrendsKE1) July 12, 2019
The infection of Hepatitis A is High among middle-income countries with poor sanitary conditions and hygienic practices.
Children are the most susceptible to this viral disease.
Hepatitis A virus is transmitted primarily by the faecal-oral route; that is when an uninfected person ingests food or water that has been contaminated with the faeces of an infected person.
The virus can also be transmitted through close physical contact (such as oral-anal sex) with an infectious person, although casual contact among people does not spread the virus.
Symptoms of hepatitis A range from mild to severe, and can include fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark-coloured urine and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes). Not everyone who is infected will have all of the symptoms.