Meningitis tops 1900 cases in “wide outbreak”

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has reported a “wide outbreak” of cerebrospinal meningitis across 15 states in the country. Cases of the disease first emerged in 2016 in Zamfara. By this March, at least 1,966 people were suspected for CSM in 2016 and 2017 combined. At least 269 have died, according to the centre. Five […]

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has reported a “wide outbreak” of cerebrospinal meningitis across 15 states in the country.

Cases of the disease first emerged in 2016 in Zamfara. By this March, at least 1,966 people were suspected for CSM in 2016 and 2017 combined.

At least 269 have died, according to the centre. Five more died in Abuja this week, the latest on Thursday, primary health care officials in the FCT confirmed.

NCDC said the outbreak has reached “epidemic proportion in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Niger.

At least 44 cases were confirmed in Zamfara, 32 in Katsina, 19 in Sokoto, 10 in Kebbi, and four in Niger.

NCDC says in light of the size of the outbreak and number of states affected, it is leading a multi-agency outbreak control team to coordinate response.

The team includes representatives from the NPHCDA, World Health Organisation, UNICEF, US Centers for Disease Control, Médecins Sans Frontières and EHealth Africa.

“We understand meningitis peaks every year in the dry season in certain States and we must work better with these States to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives,” said NCDC chief executive officer Chikwe Ihekweazu.

“We must work collectively to stop this outbreak and prevent outbreaks of this scale in the future.”

“Immunisation is key”

“Immunisation is key to the prevention of meningitis,” says Olubunmi Ojo, director of surveillance at NCDC.

Outbreaks are not uncommon. Nigeria has seen some in the past, owing to its presence in the meningitis belt—predominantly caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A (NmA).

These outbreaks occur in the dry season, due to its low humidity and dusty conditions and usually ends with the onset of the rainy season, the NCDC says.

Vaccination campaigns between 2011 and 2014 using meningococcal A conjugate vaccine “virtually eliminated” NmA epidemics.

“We now see an outbreak caused predominantly by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C (NmC),” said Ojo.

“While reactive vaccination helps to curtail outbreaks, a vaccination campaign against NmC with a long-lasting conjugate vaccine is sorely needed in the region.

Meningitis causes the covering of the brain—or meninges—to swell. It begins with an infection by bacteria or virus.

Meningitis may be carried in the throat, but can overwhelm the body’s defences and spread through the bloodstream to the brain. The reason for this shift is still unclear.

Up to two in every 100 people carry the microorganism in their throat at any given time, but the rate increases in times of epidemics.

The most common symptoms of meningitis are stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting, and anyone with the symptoms above is advised to urgently seek care at the nearest health facility.

Meningitis should always be viewed as a medical emergency.