Meningitis on the rise, say health officials

An outbreak of meningitis has been registered in northern Kyrgyzstan, including the capital, Bishkek, where the number of cases is said to be highest in the country. "In Kyrgyzstan 160 cases of meningitis have been registered, of which 70 percent are in Bishkek and 24 cases in [northern] Chuy valley, possibly due to the density of population and closer interaction of people. In other regions there are only 1-2 cases. Mostly children", Inna Chernova, chief specialist at the Kyrgyz health ministry's department of epidemiological inspection told IRIN in Bishkek. "Every seven to 10 years there is a seasonal growth of the meningitis infection," chief doctor of the republican isolation hospital, Nurisa Muratova, told IRIN. The situation in Bishkek is the worst in 11 months as the number of registered cases has doubled compared to 2002 and reached 115 - from 53 in 2002. Three children are reported to have died of meningococcosis in the last six weeks. People of all ages can contract the infection but children of preschool age are more vulnerable to the disease. According to health officials, 70 children fell sick with meningitis in 2003, the figure comprising 61 percent of the overall number of cases. In one case, a one month old girl reportedly died of meningococcosis, after her parents tried to treat her at home without consulting a doctor."People don’t visit doctors, because they think they will need to buy medicines. However, meningitis is treated free-of-charge according to Kyrgyz legislation," Chernova explained. Given the situation, the current task of Kyrgyz health officials and doctors is to undertake preventive measures, warning the population about the symptoms of meningitis, urging people to consult doctors and in case of infection, receive free treatment in hospital. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), meningococcal disease, also referred to as cerebrospinal meningitis is a contagious bacterial disease. It is spread by person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets of infected people. The onset of symptoms is sudden and death can follow within hours. In as many as 10-15 percent of survivors, there are persistent neurological defects, including hearing loss, speech disorders, loss of limbs, mental retardation and paralysis. The disease mainly affects young children, but is also common in young adults. Weakening immunity among the population against a particular strain favours epidemics, as do overcrowding and climatic conditions such as dry seasons or prolonged drought and dust storms. The disease occurs sporadically throughout the world with seasonal variations and accounts for a proportion of endemic bacterial meningitis.