Two children hospitalized after consuming meat from dead camel

Two people, both children, have been admitted while 25 others were treated and discharged at Eremet Dispensary in Isiolo County after consuming meat from a dead camel.

The victims were among 130 others who were treated after they complained of vomiting, headaches and stomach aches after consuming the meat.

A nurse at the facility said that those discharged were in a stable condition, adding that the nurses have been forced to admit patients to the maternity ward because the other wards were full.

“More than 150 people came, they were suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea. There were others who had severe cases, the ones who were dehydrated we were able to admit them to help them regain the water they had lost,” said the nurse.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, area Sub-Chief Paul Erica said the villagers declined assistance from police who had sent lorries to transfer the affected people to a better-equipped facility, some 50 kilometers away to Kiruua Methodist Hospital in Meru Town, due to lack of funds.

He added that the camel died from an unknown disease, noting that the owner had vaccinated it before it died.

The villagers are now blaming the ongoing drought for the misfortune, saying that many herders have flocked into their grazing area, leaving them with nowhere to graze their livestock.

They further added that they are in need of relief food, stating that some of the children in the village have dropped out of school due to the prevailing drought and have been forced to accompany herders to grazing fields for milk and meat.

Eremet Primary School head teacher Mr Micheni said 47 pupils were missing from school on Monday, but 20 were yet to report back to school following the incident since most of the affected were women and children.

“When we realized that so many pupils are not in school, we went to every class and we realized that 47 pupils were absent, which means they ate the camel meat which affected them,” said the school head teacher.
Edited by Ronald Kibet