It is alleged a 7-year-old girl from Igumo village in Marimanti ward in Tharaka Nithi County died, while seven others and one adult were admitted to hospital after consuming meat from a sick chicken.
Charity Kaindi who lost her daughter claims her child was invited by his grandfather on Monday evening to his house, where he was fed the alleged chicken meat and later came back home.
According to Kaindi, the grandfather cooked the chicken, ate the gizzard and liver, and the remaining was kept for grandchildren who consumed it after coming from school at 5:00 pm.
A commotion in a relative’s home who resides just nearby forced Ms Kaindi to inquire what was going on, only to learn another child in the family had taken the same meal from their grandfather and developed stomach complications.
She immediately informed her husband to come and assist in helping how the affected children would be rushed to the nearby Marimanti Level 4 hospital whereupon arrival the affected presented signs like vomiting, diarrhoea and stomachache.
The situation would deteriorate, and it was discovered that a total of eight children had consumed the same meal from their grandfather, identified as Karong’o Makembo.
The County government through the medical docket urged residents to continue sensitizing each other in the community against eating sick animals, affirming it will continue being done during household visits.
The county’s Public Health Department at Tharaka South Sub-County visited the homestead and issued a statement.
“On Wednesday, August 18, 2021, the Public Health Department at Tharaka South Sub-County visited the homestead of Mzee Karongo, the one who slaughtered and cooked the chicken and established he was the owner of the chicken that was said to have died before being slaughtered and cooked by himself eating the gizzard and liver but did not present any signs of illness after consuming the chicken,” the statement read.
