Annual medical report / East Africa Protectorate.

  • East Africa Protectorate. Medical Department.
Date:
[1915]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical report / East Africa Protectorate. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    33/82 (page 33)
    TRYPANOSOMIASIS. The number of cases coming under observation in year was : — Nairobi ... ... 3 Muniias ... ... 1 Total ... 4 FILARIxVSIS. The ^Medical Officer in charge Lamu records his opinion that “ roughly some 30-40 % of the population of Lamu and the neighbouring islands are “ infected with Filaria Noclurna. There arc also localised centres on the Tana “ River. General sanitary and antimosquito work is the only way to diminish “ this infection.” EPIDEMIC DISEASES. GENERAL. gradually Province, Measles- Eortunately, the occurrence of epidemic diseases in the Protectorate has been limited, both in variety and distribution, to a few centres. Observed cases of plague have occurred in Nairobi, Kisumu and in North Kavirondo towards the Uganda border. Small-pox was also reported from five districts there ; but towards the close of the year evidence was accumulated that an epidemic was threatening in the Nyanza in some districts near Nairobi, and in the Kenia Native Reserve, -a practically new disease—was identified in a few places; and it is interesting to note that the case incidence followed the admission of the disease into Mombasa by sea-borne agency, and successively occurred in that town, Nairobi and district, Kisumu and Kitui, and generally traceable from contacts. A considerable outbreak was notified from Bunyore and Sagam districts in the Nyanza Province during the months of October and November. Chicken-pox was prevalent among the inmates of the Nairobi Jail ; and appeared sporadically in other places. No deaths were recorded. Cerebro-spinal meningitis has also been in evidence, principally in the towns of Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa, and sporadically in the Naivasha and Kenia provinces ; while a few cases have come under observation in Jubaland. Efforts were made by segregation in concentration camps, inoculation and vaccination, to })rotect the many thousands of Natives enrolled for the Carrier Corps from the Nyanza Province, where epidemic disease has long been known to exist and plague and small-pox were reported during the year. Concentration camps were established at the Yala., Kendu Bay, and Kibos outside and in Kisumu, where these persons were received and treated by the personnel of the Division, the work accomplished being— Number of porters inspected during the year ... 27,993 .,, ,, inoculated ,, ,, ,, ... 21,988 ,, ,, ,, vaccinated ,, ,, ,, ... 27,993 Two cases of infectious disease occurred in the camps, one small-pox and the other plague. The working of these canq)s was a matter of some difficulty, owing to the limitation of staff. Sanitary Inspectors were detailed from the town¬ ships for this purpose, and placed in control. The retention of 500-2,()()() military ]jorters within the endemic centre of Ivisumu h;is caused consider¬ able anxiety, and nothing but the urgent military situation could have justified such an action.