Meningitis outbreak kills 36

An outbreak of meningitis in Burkina Faso killed 36 people between 4 and 10 February, out of 201 cases reported, the World Health Organisation reported on Thursday. The disease, the UN agency said, had reached the epidemic threshold in the eastern Dedougou district, with three deaths out of nice cases reported at the same period. "A mass vaccination campaign has begun in the district and case management activities are being reinforced. The Ministry of Health has a stock of 946,500 doses of vaccine and 24,889 doses of chloramphenicol to confront the epidemic", WHO reported. Burkina Faso, WHO reported, lies within the "meningitis belt" of sub-Saharan Africa, which extends from Ethiopia to Senegal. It is one of the most affected countries in "the belt" along with Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The disease is caused by a bacterium and transmitted by direct contact, including respiratory droplets from nose and throat of infected persons. It is characterized by sudden onset of intense headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and stiff neck.