Table 1.

Description of an outbreak of anthrax in humans and livestock in Nakuru County, 2016

Anthrax is endemic in Nakuru County, where outbreaks in animals are reported annually. In June 2016, a farmer from one village sent samples from his animal that had died suddenly to the Nakuru Regional Veterinary Investigations Laboratory. These samples tested positive for anthrax. Officers at the regional laboratory notified officers at the sub-county veterinary department, who in turn immediately notified the sub-county department of health in Nakuru County. The sub-county officers of health visited the village to trace the affected farmers’ household, sensitize the community, and health workers and offered prophylaxis treatment to those who had been exposed (eaten meat from the animals or slaughtered/skinned) to dead animals. The veterinary department carried out anthrax ring vaccination of livestock as an outbreak control measure. Upon further records review at the veterinary department, the team identified that a total of 10 cows had died between May and June 2016 of suspected anthrax infection.

In July 2016, ZDU and Kenya Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) conducted an outbreak investigation at local health centers. A total of 73 exposed people on the investigators’ outbreak line-list were classified as probable cases; 29 of them were traced and 3 (10%) had developed cutaneous anthrax. The majority of those who did not develop clinical disease reported having received prophylaxis treatment at the local health center offered as public health response to the confirmed animal case. The three cutaneous anthrax cases were all exposed from the same animal carcass and all resided in the same village. The timely communication between the health sectors and intervention in those exposed resulted in fewer human cases during this outbreak. The rapid detection and control of this outbreak at its source illustrates the importance of the One Health approach for global health security.