Meningitis outbreak claims 269 lives in Nigeria

A total of 269 people have lost their lives to an outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in parts of Nigeria, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control said Wednesday.

The deaths were recorded within six months in almost 15 states across the West African country, including the capital Abuja and five northern states.

Abuja and the five northern states (Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara) are worse-hit by the outbreak and had crossed the threshold for an epidemic, said Olubunmi Ojo, head of surveillance at the local centre for disease control.

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 a new strain, which is not common in Nigeria, was imported from neighbouring Niger, adding it requires a different type of vaccine.

As of Thursday, at least 1,828 suspected cases of meningitis had been recorded in the most populous African country.

Sokoto State, in the country's northwest region, recorded up to 23 deaths as of that day, according to the state commissioner for health, Balarabe Kakale.

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 been bolstered in the past weeks, local officials told Xinhua.

More than 156 people died throughout Nigeria in a meningitis outbreak in 2009. The current outbreak is the worst in the country in eight years.

Last year, 33 people died of meningitis in Nigeria, according to data by the center for disease control.

The seasonal outbreak of meningitis is expected in Nigeria due to its location and occasioned by factors like cold nights, dusty winds, dry weather.

The current problem was aggravated by formidable factors like traditional beliefs, poor hygiene, and overpopulation, experts told Xinhua.

The Nigerian government said it is in collaboration with international aid agencies, including the World Health Organization, to put the outbreak under immense control.