Kilifi town and its environs have been put on high alert following an outbreak of cholera at Kiwandani village in the town's suburb.
Consequently, the authorities have declared a ban on the sale of food in kiosks and other outdoor places.
The first five victims had come into contact with a child who died on August 14 as a result of acute diarrhoea and vomiting.
They started having diarrhoea on August 19 and tested positive for vibrio cholera, a virus that causes cholera.
Health officials said yesterday said an alert had been sent to medical facilities in all the county's seven sub-counties.
Residents have been urged to take precautions to stop the spread of the disease.
Speaking to journalists at the Kilifi Hospital, the county director of health, Bilali Mazoya, said public health officials had been dispatched to the affected area to treat victims and keep surveillance on the ground.
Cholera treatment centre
"We have set up a cholera treatment centre at Kiwandani dispensary to manage the patients identified and any subsequent cases from the locality," said Dr Mazoya.
He said a five-year-old child from Kiwandani village died of diarrhoea and vomiting but did not test positive for cholera.
"The child had been admitted at a private health institution but soon after his death, five of the family members tested positive for cholera and were admitted to Kiwandani dispensary," he said.
He said three other cases were reported on Wednesday at the same village. Two were treated and discharged but the third patient was admitted.
The officer in charge of disease control in the county, Eric Maitha, said more than 800 area residents had been sensitised on good hygiene by community health volunteers.
"We have also distributed 960 bottles of Waterguard and 900 cholera fact sheets to households in the region," he said.
Maitha said 350 households had been dosed with ciprofloxacin and doxycycline.