MENINGITIS: 2 REPORTED CASES IN DELTA

Central Hospital, Warri

More cases of Meningitis has been reported in states across the country with the casualty figures on the rise.

There are palpable fears that if not speedily tackled, the disease will continue to claim more lives.

In Delta state, there are already two reported cases that has been confirmed which happens to be the second confirmation of meningitis with the first case at the Federal Medical Center, Asaba, Delta State.


The second reported case of the disease is at the Central Hospital, Warri.

Making this known in Asaba, Delta state, the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge, while speaking with journalists, assured that the situation is under control.

"At the Federal Medical Center, Asaba, one case has been confirmed as caused by neisseria meningitidis, the organism that is usually associated with meningitis outbreaks. The second case is yet to be confirmed because of certain complications the patient has", he said.

“The case in Warri was confirmed to have been caused by streptococcus pneumonia, this is a form of bacterium that is hardly associated with outbreaks".

“This is why the one in Warri is not an outbreak; it is a case of meningitis caused by streptococcus pneumonia which is different from the type of bacterium that causes outbreak of meningitis".

“The unconfirmed case in Asaba and the case in Warri responded satisfactorily to treatment and have been discharged. Currently, it’s only one case being managed at Federal Medical Center, Asaba and we are monitoring the situation”.

Azinge asked the people not to panic, saying the State Government is ready to combat any possible outbreak of meningitis in the state.

In a related development, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board on Thursday said it had recorded two fresh cases of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in Abuja.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the two confirmed cases were in Abuja Municipal and Abaji Area Councils.

Dr. Mohammed said that result from the laboratory test between Tuesday and Wednesday had shown that the two victims were infected with type C of CSM.

He explained that one of the victims in Nuku village of Abaji area council came from Sokoto State where it was alleged that one person had died of meningitis.

He added that another six-year-old child in Garki, Area 8, Abuja, was also confirmed at the Jabi Federal Medical Centre, Abuja.

According to him, these were the only confirmed cases FCT had recorded so far since the outbreak, adding that there are 10 suspected cases in the past where six persons died.

The Executive Secretary explained that his agency had cordoned off the area where the two victims reside to immunise and sensitise residents against the disease.

He therefore advised FCT residents to desist from self-medication and report to hospital when they notice any sign of CSM, which include fever and stiff neck or neck pain while also enjoining residents to avoid crowded places especially this Easter season where people were travelling to villages for the celebration.

The ES added that people must ensure ventilation in their homes and cultivate the habit of hand washing as well as covering of mouth while coughing or sneezing to avoid the spread of the disease.

"Immunisation against CSM would continue as soon as the agency receives additional vaccines from the Federal Government", Mohammed assured.
(Channels TV/NAN)