Lake Turkana, Kenya
SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images
SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images
According to the Kenyan newspaper The Daily Nation, Lake Turkana is the largest inland lake in the nation and is vital to the lives and livelihoods of many residents of the surrounding area. However, that doesn’t make it a safe place to swim in, and it’s an especially dangerous idea to drink from its waters.
That’s not because of its extreme level of salination but also because it’s a well-known vector for disease transmission. In particular, Lake Turkana’s water was partially responsible for a cholera outbreak that claimed the lives of 22 people.