NAIROBI, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities on Saturday confirmed that 33 cases of suspected cholera have been reported in the past two days from a trade forum which ended in Nairobi on Wednesday.
Nairobi County Government Health Executive, Bernard Muia said 33 patients are admitted in various hospitals in Nairobi and doctors are expected to release final results on the suspected cholera.
"Those admitted are recovering well, we have no fatalities and according to the latest report they are doing well," Muia told journalists in Nairobi. The victims ate food served during the Kenya Trade Week held in Nairobi this week.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and his Trade and Industrialization counterpart Adan Mohamed are among patients admitted to a Nairobi hospital with suspected symptoms of cholera.
Mohamed who had symptoms was however treated and discharged Friday evening. However, Mohamed's Trade Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo is still hospitalized.
However, Director of Medical Services Jackson Kioko downplayed the issue saying that the information he had received indicated that the two government officials and others were suffering from food poisoning.
Rotich was rushed to the hospital on Thursday. The Trade Week which kicked off in Nairobi from July 10-12 was opened by Rotich and Mohamed in Nairobi and several staff from both ministries attended.
Journalists were among those treated in various health facilities with similar complaints.
Speaking to journalists in Nairobi, Muia banned open air cooking in the city to prevent an outbreak of cholera in Nairobi adding that stringent measures will be enforced to ensure outside caterers adhere to health standards.
"Those sources of food particularly the outsourced food should not serve any event until the cooking of that food has been checked by a public health officer and given a go ahead," said Muia.
So far, 96 cholera cases have been confirmed in the city in the past two months. Three fatalities have been reported so far.
The incident comes weeks after several doctors were hospitalized following a reportedly cholera outbreak while attending a workshop at Weston Hotel in Nairobi.
The ministry did not state the outcome of their probe into the first outbreak and were accused of covering up the incident.
