Nigeria: 'Strange' Disease Kills 10 in Kebbi State - WHO team on the ground - and possible 9 cases of suspected Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM)

[Gert van der Hoek]

febr 13, 2016

Birnin Kebbi — A "strange" disease has killed 13 people in Yauri, Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered.

But the Director, Medical Services at the state Ministry of Health, Dr Aminu Haliru Bunza, put the figure of dead persons at ten.
He said ten people died while seven are receiving treatment at a hospital in Yauri.

"The situation is under control. A medical team from the World Health Organization (WHO), the state Ministry of Health and other stakeholders are on ground to tackle the situation," he said.

He said blood samples have been taken for investigation, while those undergoing treatment are in isolation.
Sources at the General Hospital, Yauri, said, "those we have at the hospital are responding to treatment. There is no cause for alarm".

Daily Trust on Sunday gathered from palace sources in Yauri that another three deaths were recorded. But that could not be confirmed.

Residents have attributed the disease to witchcraft attack.

When contacted, the Walin Yauri, Alhaji Shehu Ahmed, said those who died either complained of headache or stomach ache.
Alhaji Shehu said most of those affected were food vendors within the market area, and that they died before reaching the hospital.

"It started about a week ago and two to three persons died daily at home. Survivors are currently responding to treatment in the hospital. Medical doctors at the General Hospital, Yauri, and the state Ministry of Health suspect a case of meningitis. However, experts drafted to investigate the incident have taken blood samples to the Uthman Danfodio Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, for investigation," he added.

[sharon sanders]

I am not sure about this source and/or format but it might be true.....

Kebbi State Govt @KBStGovt 21m21 minutes ago

@FluTrackers @GertvanderHoek http://arewalife.com/health-fitness/press-release-on-the-reported-cases-of-suspected-cerebro-spinal-meningitis-csm-in-kebbi-state/?




PRESS RELEASE ON THE REPORTED CASES OF SUSPECTED CEREBRO ?SPINAL MENINGITIS (CSM) IN KEBBI STATE

By Editor | February 16, 2016


5 suspected cases of Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) were reported from Yauri town in Yauri local government of Kebbi state on Thursday February 8, 2016 with additional cases on Friday February 13, 2016, totaling 9 cases.
An isolation camp was immediately established in Yauri, Kebbi state and samples for laboratory investigations dispatched to medicines san frontiers laboratory in Sokoto.
2 out of 8 samples tested by the rapid test were positive for Nisseria menigitidis Serotype C. 1 case from Andarai in Maiyama local government area was earlier confirmed in January. This brings to 3 the total number of confirmed cases on cerebro spinal meningitis reported in Kebbi state this year.
The first confirmed case was treated and discharged in January and currently the 2 confirmed cases are responding to treatment at the isolation camp in Yauri.

With these numbers alone, we are not yet at the epidemic threshold, but we should ALL be on the ALERT and intensify surveillance in ALL our communities as the government of Kebbi state deploys proactive measures to forestall escalation of the situation.
Kebbi state government has already instituted the following measures:
? The state Rapid Response Team and the Yauri LGA teams have been activated from the first day of the report.
? An isolation and treatment camp has been established at Yauri LGA
? Adequate vials of recommended antibiotics- Ceftriaxone have been made available at the treatment Centre at Yauri by both Yauri LG authority and State ministry of health and more are pre-positioned at the state medical stores.
? CSM Treatment Protocol has been shared to all the DSNOs and some test lumbar puncture kits were also shared. More kits are being expected from WHO country office
? Active Case Search supported by our disease surveillance and notification officers (DSNOs) as well as WHO is on going.
? Community mobilization, advocacy and sensitization of traditional leaders currently is ongoing in Yauri LGA
? Kebbi State government is working with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to mobilize support to contain further spread as well as secure vaccines for dual purposes of preventing the escalation of the disease and achieving herd immunity within the population based on available results and epidemiological history.
? The LGA team led by DSNOs and supported by WHO structures in the LGA will continue community sensitization and active case search in the affected areas.

http://arewalife.com/health-fitness/...n-kebbi-state/