Nigeria has reported a total of 532 confirmed cases out of 1,686 suspected cases of meningitis, including 124 deaths, across 22 states including the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the epidemiology situation of the disease in Nigeria as of April 27, 2023, released by the World Health Organisation, the report showed that males account for 57 per cent of the total suspected cases.
“The highest proportion of reported cases is among children aged 1 to 15 years. Jigawa state accounts for 74 per cent (n = 1252) of all suspected cases, and this state borders the Zinder region in Niger, where a meningitis outbreak has been reported since October 2022.
“A total of 481 cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from patients in 18 states. Out of these samples, 247 tested positive for bacterial infection by PCR test. Among the positive cases, 226 (91 per cent) were caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C (NmC), while 13 cases (5.4 per cent) were caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, and only one case (0.4 per cent) by Haemophilus influenzae.
“For 232 samples the result was negative, and for two the result is pending. In the last five weeks alone (epidemiological weeks 11-15), 41 out of 140 samples tested (29 per cent) were positive for NmC. The confirmed cases were reported from eight states including Jigawa (231), Zamfara (six), Yobe (five), Benue (one), Gombe (one), Katsina (one), Oyo (one), and Sokoto (one).
Meningitis is a serious infection of the meninges, the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It is a devastating disease and a major public health challenge.
The disease can be caused by many different pathogens including bacteria, fungi or viruses, but the highest global burden is seen with bacterial meningitis.
Meningitis is transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory and throat secretions, usually by asymptomatic carriers. The average incubation period is four days but can range between two and 10 days.
Meningitis remains a public health concern, in Nigeria, with outbreaks reported in recent years. With support from WHO, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is implementing response measures at the national level. These include vaccination, surveillance, active case finding, sample testing, and case management.
