300 Meru food poisoning victims discharged from hospital

Three hundred patients who were receiving treatment after consuming meat from a sick cow in Meru County have now been discharged.

The 147 males, 134 females and 19 children were receiving medical treatment at Kanyekine Sub-County Hospital following the food poisoning incident that took place over the weekend.

Another 53 patients were admitted on Monday, but at dawn 15 of them were discharged while 38 others remain admitted at the same hospital.

The infected beef was traced back to Japhat Muthomi who is said to have slaughtered the sick cow after advice from a quack veterinarian.

According to Muthomi, who is still in police custody, the fake vet, Elphas Kibia, assured him that the meat was fit for consumption because the cow had been treated.

Muthomi said he was unaware of the potential danger posed by consuming the meat because he also fed the same beef to his family, who also suffered from stomach pains.

The quack vet, Elphas Kibia, admitted that he went to school in Kabete but he did not have a license to carry out his operations.

Kibia said that he inspected the meat and he saw it was fit for consumption.

Dr Gitonga, who serves as Meru County’s Chief Health Officer, confirmed that the cow was inspected by a vet.

“To avoid such incidences residents should consult with legitimate government meat inspectors and buy meat from licensed inspected outlets,” said Dr Gitonga.

Dispelling residents’ fears, Imenti South Medical Officer, Kepha Chui, said the cow was not infected by anthrax and clarified that residents who had consumed the meat were suffering from food poisoning.

Area MCA Gideon Kimathi urged residents to eat inspected meat, adding that the aftermath would have been worse had residents not rushed to hospital in time.

He called for the arrest of all quack veterinarians in the region, saying that such action would prevent a reoccurrence mass food poisoning.