A health sector official said on Tuesday that at least 26 people were killed due to the outbreak of meningitis in the northwestern state of Kaibi.
Nigeria is one of the hotbeds of deadly disease in Africa after monitoring at least 1700 cases last year, and more than 150 deaths were recorded in 7 states.
Moussa Ismail, Commissioner for Health in the province of Kaibi, confirmed that there was an escalation in cases in 3 areas in the state.
He said in a statement, “We are under the pressure of the unfortunate situation of the disease with a high number of cases,” noting the symptoms that include fever, severe headache and neck stiffness.
He added that 248 cases were suspected of developing the disease, and 11 samples were sent to the National Reference Laboratory in the capital, Abuja. The analysis showed negative samples, and 9 samples are still waiting for the result of the examination.
Menineitis is irritation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord that may occur as a result of a viral or bacterial infection. It is mainly transmitted through kisses, sneezing, coughing and in narrow living places.
Ismail said that the state government, in its dealings with the outbreak of the disease, was distributed to the affected areas with the establishment of isolation centers with the support of MSF in Gando, Giga and Aliru, the three affected areas.
The neighboring state of Sokoto also issued a healthy warning after confirming the outbreak of the disease.
The World Health Organization said that last year, Nigeria became the first country in the world to offer a “5 -C -Revolutionary” vaccine against meningitis.