The most recent cholera outbreak, which killed one person, looks to have been contained.

The Ministry of Health stated that the lone fatality happened on May 9 and that no new cases of the sickness had been reported in nearly two weeks.

“A total of 68 cholera cases have been reported in Tana River (60), Lamu (seven) and Siaya (one) counties,” the ministry said in its latest status update.

“One death has been recorded since the beginning of the current wave of the outbreak,” said the ministry.

According to the report, the remaining patients have totally recovered.

Cholera is a bacterial disease that spreads by contaminated water or food.

The infection is typically moderate or without symptoms, but it can also be severe and life-threatening.

“Several risk factors contributed to the spread of this deadly disease. The main one is the destruction of sanitation facilities during these long rains, resulting in the collapse of latrines and the filling of latrines with floodwater,” Health PS Mary Muthoni said.

The ministry stated that the first case was reported on April 13.

Muthoni stated that the single instance is noteworthy since it represents an outbreak.

“Waterborne diseases such as cholera are indeed severe, but they are also preventable. It is crucial to understand that early detection and prompt medical attention can make a significant difference, potentially saving lives,” she said.

The outbreak peaked in late April, with the last case confirmed on May 25, according to the ministry.

The country is not yet out of the woods, since 39 health institutions were damaged in Tana River, Kisumu, Kajiado, Busia, Murang’a, Garissa, and Migori.

“Thirty of these facilities are reportedly flooded, one structure is destroyed, four have their access roads cut off/affected, one has its pit latrine destroyed, one with leaking roofs, and one has a collapsed perimeter wall,” the ministry said.

“Thirty-two of the facilities affected are dispensaries and seven are health centres.”

The country is experiencing higher-than-expected rainfall in March, April, and May, resulting in flooding, fatalities, population displacement, and destruction of critical infrastructure.

Almost all counties have been affected, with major impacts including heavy urban flooding, landslides, and vital infrastructure devastation.

The Kenya Meteorological Department predicts that the rains have ended in most areas.

However, most areas will still have more rain than usual this month.

Last Monday, an international team of prominent climate scientists from the World Weather Attribution Group stated that climate change is one of the causes of flooding.

According to the study, East African towns are under strain from both growing urbanisation and changing climate hazards. According to climate simulations, the region’s high rainfall will continue to grow as temperatures rise.

Joyce Kimutai, a London researcher, said historically long rains in East Africa have been difficult to examine because weather data suggest a drying trend in the region and climate models predict heavier rains due to climate change.

She works at Imperial College’s Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment in London.

“But in recent years, this appears to be changing, and new climate models seem to better reflect how long rains are behaving with global warming,” she stated.

Kimutai stated that the most recent weather observations and climate models are more in accord, indicating that the protracted rains are delivering more and more rain each year, and that as temperatures rise, they will become ever more powerful and dangerous.