Meningitis: 38 die in Jigawa State

Thirty eight people have been confirmed dead by the Jigawa State Ministry of Health in an outbreak of cerebellum spinal meningitis in the state.

Recall earlier this week, the NCDC had held an emergency meeting over the outbreak of Meningitis in Jigawa State because of a similar and recent outbreak in Niger Republic which the state shares borders with.

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The state Commissioner of Health, through the permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr. Salisu Muazu, said the disease has been recorded in seven local government areas of the state that share a border with the Niger Republic. He listed the affected LGAs as Babura, Maigatari, Suletankarkar and Birniwa, Gumel, Gwiwa and Yankwashi.

Muazu who confirmed the deaths during an interview on Wednesday in his office in Dutse, the state capital, further explained that 398 suspected cases have been recorded across some towns and villages in the affected local government areas.

He said, “The outbreak was recorded in the seven local government areas neighbouring Niger republic where the outbreak started and later transmitted to other villages and towns of those local government areas bordering the Niger Republic.”

The disease, he pointed out, appeared in 56 political wards where 398 cases were recorded.

“Last year we did an immunisation on Cerebellum Spinal Meningitis across the state and we discovered the outbreak in these seven local governments neighbouring Niger Republic.”

“After the report of the outbreak, we took the samples of the disease, tested it in the laboratory and we discovered it was a strange disease. It was not a normal CSM disease which we are familiar with here. We discovered it is a new bacteria known as type B.

“Immediately after the report, the state government through the ministry of health swung into action of treatment, control and prevention measures in the affected areas.

“We established a centre at Gumel general hospital where all the patients were referred to for treatment. We treated all the patients for free” he said.

Dr. Mu’azu also the number of cases recorded daily has reduced and the situation was now controlled.

“It is now under control. We now record one to two cases daily. There are some days when we recorded zero cases. Since last Saturday till today we have recorded only one case,” he said.

S.S /Healthwise