Thika residents have been urged to wash second-hand clothes before wearing them to avoid contracting skin infections.
Speaking on Wednesday at Thika Level Five Hospital, Dr Susan Wambui, a skin specialist, said some patients have been visiting the facility with skin infections contracted from used clothes.
Wambui added that most of the infections have been on children who she said are more vulnerable.
"It is very important to wash clean second hand clothes with enough water and soap before wearing them. Children's clothes if possible, should be washed with disinfectants too in order to kill all germs because children are more prone to skin conditions than adults," Wambui said.
She advised the same for second hand bedding materials which she said could also bring infections if not thoroughly cleaned.
"Basically everything second hand that you know will be in direct contact with your skin for quite some time should be cleaned and disinfected before being used," she added.
The skin specialist noted that though there was a second hand clothes disinfection policy before importation, it is always good to do it again to be on the safe side.