Kenya cholera outbreak kills five: health official

Nairobi: Kenya's government urged vigilance on Wednesday as it tackles a cholera outbreak that has killed at least five people, a health ministry official said.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through contaminated food and water and typically causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and muscle cramps. It is especially dangerous for young children.

The east African nation reported dozens of cases in the aftermath of massive floods that swept over parts of the country last year.

"The government is asking you to be extremely vigilant of your surroundings... to deal with a cholera outbreak that has now claimed over five lives countrywide," said health official Mary Muthoni in a statement.

In a statement on Tuesday, the health ministry had said the disease had been reported across three counties -- Migori, Kisumu and Nairobi -- and that there had been "97 cholera cases, including six fatalities".

Cholera has broken out across other countries in eastern Africa, with South Sudan particularly hard hit. The impoverished nation recorded just under 700 deaths last month, according to the United Nations.

Separately, Muthoni said more than 1,000 cases of leishmaniasis had been reported in the country, adding: "We already have 33 dead."

Leishmaniasis, which is caused by a microscopic parasite spread by sandflies, creates ulcers and disfiguring scars, and one variety can attack internal organs.

It is often associated with poverty and poor urban sanitation.