Annual medical report / East Africa Protectorate.

  • East Africa Protectorate. Medical Department.
Date:
[1921]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    30/228 (page 28)
    5. Note on observations made during the execution of anti-plague MEASURES. 6. Report on a Small Mammal Survey. 1. Incidence of the Disease. Nyanza Province. This province, which up till the end of 1920 was divided for adminis¬ trative purposes into five districts, now consists of six. The area formerly known as the Kisumu district having been divided into two portions. The settled portion bordering on the Uganda Railway and consisting of farms and estates in European or Asiatic occupation retains the name Kisumu district, while the much larger portion which borders the lake-shore to the north of Kisumu and consists entirely of Native Reserve, is now called the Central Kavirondo district. The town of Kisumu lies in the Kisumu district. Areas in which Plague has prevailed,. South Kavirondo Area. 2,800 sq. miles. Central ,, ,, 1,843 ,, ,, North „ „ 2,669 ,, ,, Kisumu District ,, about 200 ,, ,, Township ,, about 18 „ Pop. : 224,246. „ 274,672. „ 301,727. ,, European and Indian farmers and some native labour. ,, about 150 Europeans, 1,000 Asiatics and 4,000 natives. The first three districts mentioned are Native Reserves, and each is divided into about twenty smaller areas or locations. Each location is under the control of a native chief. South Kavirondo.—As in former years plague in this district was confined to a few small and limited outbreaks as follows About August 20th, at Kitutu’s ... ... ... 6 deaths. About September 2nd, at Wan gare’s, near Riana ... 15 deaths. About September 22nd, at Kamada’s, near Homa Bay 11 deaths. Each of these outbreaks was dealt with by the Medical Officer of the district, the huts in the infected bomas being deroofed and left in that con¬ dition for some days while a certain amount of rat destruction was carried out in the neighbouring bomas. That no spread occurred is not, however, necessarily to be attributed to the action taken, which, on account of the fact that the people of this district are by no means “ advanced ” was neces¬ sarily of a very limited nature. These places are from 20 to 40 miles apart. There is no evidence that the outbreaks were connected with each other in any way or that they were due to the introduction of the disease from another district. Central Kavirondo.—During the first six months of the year a certain number of deaths from plague were reported, but as no Medical Officer was then available for district work, to estimate the number would be pure specu¬ lation. From the beginning of July onwards, however, a Medical Officer was stationed in the district, and accurate information is available for the rest of the year. Shortly after this Officer took up duty in July, a message was received from the Indian community at Sio, a small trading port situated near the Uganda boundary in the Sarnia location, requesting him to visit the port as plague has broken out in the bazaar.