174 Students Hospitalized With This Unusual Illness

A total of 174 students from Amabuko Secondary School in Masaba, Kisii County, have been admitted to hospital, with school Principal Rawlings Juma confirming that the students had diarrhea and vomiting symptoms.

According to reports, 23 students were treated at Keroka Sub County Hospital for severe stomach pains, with an additional 76 students admitted to Gucha Maternity Hospital and 55 others admitted to St Catherine Ichuni Mission Hospital, all of whom were experiencing similar symptoms.

Some 20 students in critical condition have been transferred to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital with county ambulances around 6:00 am on Monday.

While the exact cause of the illness is unknown, food poisoning is suspected due to a meal consumed by the students on Sunday night.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), common symptoms of food poisoning, including diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. 

Reports indicate that the students who consumed a meal of kale during supper are among those affected, while their peers who had cabbage appeared unaffected .