Cholera Outbreak in Homa Bay County, Kenya, 2015

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Supplement article

Case Study

Cholera Outbreak in Homa Bay County, Kenya, 2015

Cite this: The Pan African Medical Journal. 2017;27 (Supp 1):4. doi:10.11604/pamj.supp.2017.27.1.12563

Received: 19/04/2017 - Accepted: 05/05/2017 - Published: 28/05/2017

Key words: Public Health, epidemiology, cholera, re-emerging disease, outbreak investigation

^© Jane Njoki Githuku et al. The Pan African Medical Journal - ISSN 1937-8688. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Available online at: http://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/series/27/1/4/full

Corresponding author: Jane Njoki Githuku, Kenya Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ministry of Health, Kenya (jgithuku@feltp.or.ke)

This article is published as part of the supplement “African Case Studies in Public Heath” sponsored by Emory University, African Field Epidemiology Network

Guest editors: Olivia Namusisi, Scott JN McNabb, Ghada N Farhat, Joseph Asamoah Frimpong

Cholera outbreak in Homa Bay County, Kenya, 2015

Jane Njoki Githuku^1,&, Waqo Gufu Boru¹, Casey Daniel Hall², Zeinab Gura¹, Elvis Oyugi¹, Rogath Saika Kishimba^3,4, Innocent Semali⁵, Ghada Nadim Farhat², Meeyoung Mattie Park²

¹Kenya Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ministry of Health, Kenya, ²Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA, ³Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Tanzania, ⁴Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Tanzania, ⁵Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

^&Corresponding author
Jane Njoki Githuku, Kenya Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ministry of Health, Kenya

Abstract

Cholera is among the re-emerging diseases in Kenya. Beginning in December 2014, a persistent outbreak occurred involving 29 out of the 47 countries. Homa Bay County in Western Kenya was among the first counties to report cholera cases from January to April 2015. This case study is based on an outbreak investigation conducted by FELTP residents in Homa Bay County in February 2015. It simulates an outbreak investigation including laboratory confirmation, active case finding, descriptive epidemiology and implementation of control measures. This case study is designed for the training of basic level field epidemiology trainees or any other health care workers working in public health-related fields. It can be administered in 2-3 hours. Used as adjunct training material, the case study provides the trainees with competencies in investigating an outbreak in preparation for the actual real-life experience of such outbreaks.

How to use this case study

General instructions: this case study should be used as adjunct training material for novice epidemiology trainees to reinforce the concepts taught in prior lectures. The case study is ideally taught by a facilitator in groups of about 20 participants. Participants are to take turns reading the case study, usually a paragraph per student. The facilitator guides the discussion on possible responses to questions. The facilitator may make use of flip charts to illustrate certain points. Additional instructor�s notes for facilitation are coupled with each question in the instructor�s guide to aid facilitation.

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Audience: this case study was developed for novice field epidemiology students. These participants are commonly health care workers working in the county departments of health whose background may be as medical doctors, nurses, environmental health officers or laboratory scientists who work in public health-related fields. Most have a health science or biology background.

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Prerequisites: before using this case study, participants should have received lectures on disease surveillance and outbreak investigation.

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Materials needed: flash drive, flip charts, markers, computers with MS Excel

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Level of training and associated public health activity: Novice � Outbreak investigation

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Time required: 2-3 hours

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Language: English

Case study material

Download the case study student guide (PDF - 1.69 MB)
Request the case study facilitator guide.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interest.

Acknowledgments

We wish to acknowledge residents of the field epidemiology and laboratory training program who conducted the outbreak investigation on which this case study is based. We also wish to appreciate the county department of Health, Homa Bay County in which the outbreak investigation was conducted. We also appreciate the contribution of Emory University and the African Field Epidemiology Network for facilitating the development of this case study, as well as the following for their review during the case study development workshop: Mahmood Dalhat, Olufunmilayo Fawole, Joseph Frimpong, Notion Gombe, Gerald Shambira, and Doreen Tuhebwe.

References

County Government of Homa bay. County Government of Homa bay �A County of Choice� First County Integrated Development Plan. 2013. Google Scholar

CDC. Differential diagnosis: outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea. In Global Disease Detection (GDD) Manual �Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Epidemic Diseases� 2011 (draft). Atlanta, GA, CDC. 2011. Google Scholar

Dawson AL, Ailes EC, Gilboa SM, Simeone RM, Lind JN, Farr SL et al. Antidepressant Prescription Claims Among Reproductive-Aged Women With Private Employer-Sponsored Insurance - United States 2008-201 MMWR. 2016; 65(3): 41�6. PubMed | Google Scholar

World Health Organization. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ministry of Health. Technical Guidelines for Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response in Kenya. 2012; 350. Google Scholar