(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Around 65 cholera-induced deaths have been registered in Kenya since last week, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.
It added that a total of 3,235 Kenyans had been diagnosed with cholera to date.
"Sixty-five people have so far died of the disease," the ministry said in a statement.
In the statement, Cabinet Health Secretary James Macharia is quoted as saying that 326 people had tested positive for cholera over the last week alone.
He said this number was 100 more than the number of cases registered the previous week.
Six Kenyans have died of the disease so far this week, Macharia said.
The Health Ministry, meanwhile, attributed the cholera outbreak to water shortages countrywide.
"Most local communities have been drawing water from contaminated sources," Macharia told Anadolu Agency.
"Kenya has been experiencing a dry spell for some time, which has led more people to come into contact with the pathogens that cause cholera," he added.
He said the disease had spread through some of Kenya's slum areas via sewage-contaminated water.
Macharia noted that recent flooding had also helped spread the disease.
"Unhygienic practices, such as open defecation at a time when Kenya is experiencing heavy rainfall, has also played a part in spreading cholera," the official said.
He added that the Health Ministry planned to provide residents of affected areas with water-treatment chemicals and medicine in hopes of containing the disease.
Earlier Wednesday, two prisoners at Mombasa County's Shimo La Tewa Prison succumbed to cholera.
Prison officials said three other inmates showing cholera-like symptoms had been rushed to Coast General Hospital.
On Feb. 3, a cholera alert was issued by Nicholas Muraguri, Kenya's director for medical services.
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