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| BREAKING: 140 killed by meningitis in Nigeria |
Officials
say cases have been reported over the last week in six states and has so far infected
more
than 1,000 people, the Abuja Centre for Disease Control says.
Meningitis
causes an acute inflammation of the outer layers of the brain and spinal cord.
We gathered that the current outbreak is the worst in Nigeria since 2009
when it killed at least 156 people.
The disease is spreading amidst fears it
could be out of control if refugee camps, prisons and police cells become
affected through crowds, the BBC's Chris Ewokor in Abuja says.
Vaccination is
an effective way of preventing against meningitis. However, a new strain, which
may have been imported from a neighbouring country is now prevalent in Nigeria
and requires a different type of vaccine, Nigerian Minister of Health Isaac
Adewole said. BBC reports that the seasonal outbreak has been attributed to
cold nights, dusty winds and dry weather, which were aggravated by traditional
beliefs, poor hygiene, and overpopulation. Nigeria lies on the meningitis belt,
stretching from the Sahel region to the Horn of Africa, where outbreaks occur regularly.
News had reported a few days back, that the Federal Government has deployed
epidemiologists and vaccines to arrest the outbreak of a new a strain of
Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in parts of the country. The Minister of
Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said this on Thursday in Abuja that the new strain,
which is not common in Nigeria, was imported from Niger Republic. Adewole said
that the new strain requires a different type of vaccine and a team of
epidemiologists have been deployed to address the challenge.
He described the
outbreak of meningitis in Sokoto and Zamfara states as an unfortunate
incidence, stressing that the ministry is working hard to contain the
situation. Meanwhile, in a nation where health is still not at its optimum yet.
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