Meningitis cases reported

At least 2,056 cases of meningitis including 195 deaths haD been reported by the Ministry of Health in Niger and in three districts, Magaria, Aguie and Matameye, the outbreak had reached the epidemic threshold as at 9 March, the World Health Organization reported on Thursday. Four other districts, Madarounfa, Madaoua, Tahoua and Mirriah were in alert phase, WHO said. A mass vaccination campaign, it added, was on-going with the support of Médecins sans Frontières and the International Federation of the Red Cross which had provided 250,000 doses of vaccine. Meningococcal disease, also referred to as cerebrospinal meningitis is a contagious bacterial disease 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% of survivors, there are persistent neurological defects, including hearing loss, speech disorders, loss of limbs, mental retardation and paralysis. The disease occurs sporadically throughout the world with seasonal variations. The highest burden of the disease is due to the cyclic epidemics occurring in the African meningitis belt. Niger falls within this belt which spreads east to west Africa. On 7 March, WHO reported that the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso has registered 3,691 cases, including 542 deaths since an outbreak began in January 2003 Five districts had reached the epidemic threshold however a mass vaccination campaign was going on.