Nigerian state declares red alert on meningitis

Nigeria's southern oil-producing Akwa Ibom State on Thursday declared a red alert on cerebrospinal meningitis which has broken out in some states across the country and the capital Abuja.

The state epidemiologist Aniekeme Uwah told reporters that the government had placed public health workers on red alert to forestall any possible outbreak of the disease.

There has been no reported case of meningitis in the coastal southern state, he noted, adding case management strategy has been put in place with an isolation center set up to take care of an emergency.

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.

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

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 also been bolstered in the past weeks. Endit