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Central Nigeria state at risk of meningitis outbreak: medical association

Xinhua, April 6, 2017 Adjust font size:

Nigeria's central state of Kogi is at high risk of cerebrospinal meningitis which has broken out in some states across Nigeria and the capital Abuja, the Nigerian Medical Association said on Thursday.

At a press conference, the association said meningitis outbreak had become a big threat to Kogi State since it was reported in Abuja, a transit to the state.

The authorities' inability to screen influx of people passing through Kogi State to neighboring states has caused even greater risk, said Godwin Tijani, a medical doctor and interim head of the medical association in the Nigerian state.

"It will be very difficult to identify anyone carrying the causative agent," he said, noting although the state had yet to record any case of Type C cerebrospinal meningitis, there might be a possible outbreak of the disease if precautionary measures were not taken.

The outbreak has so far claimed 336 lives, according to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control.

Meningitis is an acute inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord, with the common symptoms being fever, rash, headache, and vomiting.

Minister of Health Isaac Adewole said Type C is a new strain, which is not common in Nigeria. This was imported from neighboring Niger, he said, adding it requires a different type of vaccine.

As of Monday, a total of 2,997 suspected cases of cerebrospinal meningitis were reported in 16 states, out of which 146 were laboratory-confirmed.

The seasonal outbreak of meningitis is expected in Nigeria due to its location and occasioned by factors like cold nights, dusty winds and dry weather.

The current problem was aggravated by formidable factors like traditional beliefs, poor hygiene, and overpopulation, experts told Xinhua.

The Nigerian government has deployed epidemiologists and vaccines to arrest the outbreak. Vaccination is an effective way of controlling the disease.

Immunization and sensitization services had been bolstered in the past weeks. Endit