By Iyemah David
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), said that the national multi-sectoral Cerebrospinal Meningitis Technical Working Group (TWG) continued to monitor response to the disease across states.
The NCDC, via its official website on Sunday, said between October 2022 and April 2, about 235 confirmed cases had been reported, with 118 deaths from 22 states and 79 local government areas (LGAs).
The World Health Organization (WHO), defined Meningitis as a serious infection of the meninges, the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
It can affect anyone of any age but mainly babies, preschool children and young people.
Symptoms may develop over several hours or over a few days. They may include sudden high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, nausea or vomiting.
It may also involve confusion or trouble concentrating, seizures, sleepiness or trouble waking, sensitivity to light, no appetite or thirst, and skin rash in some cases such as in meningococcal meningitis.
The Public Health Institute expressed worries that Meningitis killed 23 persons in one week between March 27 and April 2.
It said that the deaths were reported from two states, namely Jigawa (6) and Yobe (17).
“As of April 2, a total of 1,479 suspected cases, including 118 deaths (Case Fatality Ratio, CFR 9.3 per cent), were reported from 22 states in 2022/2023 Cerebrospinal Meningitis seasons.
“Age group 5-14 years was the most affected age group; males were 57 per cent, females were 43 per cent.
About “93 per cent of all cumulative cases were from five states: Jigawa (1064 cases), Yobe (234 cases), Zamfara (36 cases), Bauchi (23 cases) and Adamawa (21 cases).”
The bacteria that cause meningitis are transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from carriers.
Close and prolonged contact such as kissing, sneezing or coughing on someone, or living in close quarters with an infected person facilitates the spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, the average incubation period is four days but can range between two and 10 days.
