Strange killer disease: Authorities confirmed outbreak of meningitis in Kano
Kano state government has identified cerebrospinal meningutis as the killer disease that claimed lives in Dawakin Tofa local government area of the state. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, made the confirmation in a media briefing on Wednesday in Kano. Dr Getso said eight lives were lost since the outbreak of the […]
Kano state government has identified cerebrospinal meningutis as the killer disease that claimed lives in Dawakin Tofa local government area of the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, made the confirmation in a media briefing on Wednesday in Kano.
Dr Getso said eight lives were lost since the outbreak of the disease on the 15th of this month. While six other cases have been identified and the victims are receiving treatment in hospitals.
"result of laboratory tests on the additional cases showed that they are afflicted by Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) type A. These additional cases are receiving adequate care in our health facilities" he said
He added that "the early sympstoms of the disease include intense headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and neck stiffness. While at the later stage symptoms such as lethargy, convulsion, loss of consciousness and death may occur. However, infants may not have stiff neck or sudden onset of headache"
The commisioner said the state government has put adequate measures in place to prevent the spread of the disease in the state, and these include strengthening and intensifying survailance at all levels of healthcare delivery; rapid response team to respond to reported cases; procurement of drugs and other vital consumables in health facilities in the affected areas and other parts of the state, as well as massive social mobilisation among others.
He however warned that the control of the outbreak depends not only on government but also individuals and communities have a role to play.
He therefore called on the residents in the state to "sleep in well ventilated rooms; avoid overcrowding especially at night and report symptoms of the case immidiately to the nearest hospital for appropriate medical attention"
It could be recalled that media reported appearance of a strange disease in Dawakin Tofa Local government area of the state that lead to the death of a score of people and caused panic among the residents of the area which prompted the state ministry of health to dispatch a rapid respond squad to the affected area to investigate and respond accordingly.