The Kenyan capital has experienced a jump in cholera cases, one of the city’s top hospitals said on Tuesday, adding that eight of its own staff had been infected with the disease.

Cholera, which is spread by ingesting fecal matter, causes acute watery diarrhea and can kill within hours if not treated.

“There is an upsurge of cholera cases in the county of Nairobi. We have had several cases admitted in our hospital.

Unfortunately we had eight staff affected,” The Nairobi Hospital, which is private, said in a statement.

There were 23 cases of cholera admitted at the hospital, said Mohamed Dagane, the executive in charge of health services in the Nairobi county government.

“There is no confirmed cholera fatality at the hospital,” he said in a statement, adding they were tracing all those who had come into contact with the patients to give them prevention treatment.

“We have sufficient stock of medicine and rehydration fluid to cater for any patient.”

The hospital, which has some of the most advanced facilities in the city, said it had put in “all precautionary measures.”

There was no immediate comment from health ministry and local government officials.

At least four people were killed and dozens more treated when another outbreak of the disease hit the city in 2017, causing authorities to shut down some restaurants.
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