Cerebrospinal Meningitis outbreak in Niger State has killed
at the least 16 people. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mustapha Jibril,
revealed this in Minna.
Confirming the deaths from the outbreak, the commissioner
said that 31 cases had been recorded in four local government areas which
include Magama, Rijau, Kontagora and Agwara.
Jibril said that the deaths were recorded in two villages in
Magama Local Government Area as a result of refusal of the affected patients to
go to health facilities.
“We have had 23 CSM cases from Magama, four from Rijau,
three from Kontagora and one from Agwara. The 16 deaths were recorded in Magama
Local Government Area. The deaths involved seven males and nine females.”
He added that 384 suspected CSM cases with eight laboratory
confirmations and 49 deaths had been recorded so far in 21 states in the
country.
Jibril said that the first case of death of CSM in Niger State
was discovered on March 6 by the District Surveillance and Notification Officer
in Magama, lamenting that the ministry had problems in persuading the people in
the local government to access health care as their belief in orthodox
treatment was high.
He added that contrary to belief of the villagers that the
sickness was caused by witchcraft, the disease was actually caused by a ‘Type
C’ bacteria.
The commissioner said that case tracing was ongoing and
antibiotics were being given to people in the four local government areas,
urging anyone sick to go to the nearest hospital for treatment.
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