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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