NAIROBI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Health said on Friday that the response to the outbreak of the parasitic disease visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, has been intensified amid 25 confirmed deaths in the country's northeastern county of Wajir.

Mary Muthoni, principal secretary of the ministry, said the government has dispatched reagents and protective gear to enhance timely diagnosis of the disease.

"The teams have been dispatched to conduct active case finding and timely treatment in the most affected sub-counties to contain the spread of the disease and avert new infections," Muthoni said during a ceremony to flag off mobile laboratories in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

She added that the three mobile laboratories are equipped with molecular testing equipment to help medical personnel treat patients on the spot.

The official disclosed that the ministry has also released funds to strengthen kala-azar containment efforts countrywide, with fresh data from the affected regions indicating that 617 cases have been reported, while 106 people are receiving treatment in health facilities.

Muthoni said the government is keen to deal with the outbreak and avert its spread to other regions prone to the infectious disease.

Habiba Ali, executive committee member for health in Wajir County, said health facilities in the region are overwhelmed amid rising numbers of new cases that are being reported.

"The mobile laboratories will be instrumental in enhancing early detection as most of the patients were taken to health facilities when the situation was almost dire," Ali said. Enditem

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