Meningitis, cerebra-spinal - Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

[Theresa42]

Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto
01.05.2006

An outbreak of Cerebra-Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in Tangaza in Sokoto State has caused the death of at least two people, including a student, News Agency of Nigeria reported on Saturday.

While many infected people are being treated at the Tangaza General Hospital, the Sokoto State government has dispatched a medical team to curtail the spread of the disease.

Dr. Abdulrazaq Gandi, Director of Primary Healthcare of the Ministry of Health, also led another ?follow-up? team to the area on Friday.

?Adequate CSM vaccines have been sent to the local council for the vaccination of the people,? he said.

According to Principal Medical Officer at the Tangaza General Hospital, Dr. Danmalam Chede, the situation had been brought under control

?Thanks to the prompt intervention made by the state government and the local council to curtail the epidemic,? he said.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges of the brain and the spinal cord, most often caused by a bacterial or viral infection and showing such symptoms as fever, vomiting, intense headache, and stiffness in the neck.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/01052006/news/news11.html

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

Re: Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Cerebro-spinal

a dangerous epidemic, and endemic, febrile disease, characterized by inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, giving rise to severe headaches, tenderness of the back of the neck, paralysis of the ocular muscles, etc. It is sometimes marked by a cutaneous eruption, when it is often called spotted fever. It is not contagious.


http://fulton.edzone.net/winkler/team1/chapter01/chapter01.html:

Warning: Meningitis is a serious infections that attacks the brain and spinal cord, caused by bacteria overcoming the body's defenses and invading the cerebra spinal fluid. People who are 18-24 or college age are most at risk.



Meningitis may be prevented with a vaccination. If you have already become infected, detecting the symptoms and seeking immediate medical attention can limit the health effects.

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[KC]

Re: Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

Re: Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

> From: The Meningitis Research Foundation

Meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord.

Septicaemia is the blood poisoning form of the disease.

The two forms of the disease have different symptoms. People who recover from meningitis and septicaemia may be left with a range of after effects that dramatically alter their lives.

Meningitis is usually bacterial or viral, and occasionally is due to fungal infections, although almost any microbe can cause it.

Viral meningitis can be very unpleasant but it is almost never life threatening and most people quickly make a full recovery.

Bacterial meningitis is more serious and can be caused by a range of different bacteria, although most cases in the UK and Ireland are caused by meningococcal bacteria.

Meningococcal bacteria can cause meningitis or septicaemia or both. Most people who get the disease have some symptoms of both meningococcal meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia; together these two forms of the disease are known as meningococcal disease.

Septicaemia is the more life threatening form of the disease and is more dangerous when there are no signs of meningitis.

There are vaccines available against some types of meningitis and septicaemia and the MenC vaccine introduced in 1999/2000 has drastically reduced the number of cases of group C meningococcal disease in the age groups targeted for vaccination. Despite this, many other equally deadly forms of the diseases are not vaccine preventable, so until research finds the key to defeating these diseases, knowing about the diseases and being able to recognise the symptoms is vital.

 

[Theresa42]

Re: Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

Re: Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

Question is (as always) - have they actually tested for meningitis? Or are they diagnosing based on clinical symptoms alone?

Inquiring minds want to know....

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

Re: Nigeria - Meningitis kills 2 in Sokoto

Question is (as always) - have they actually tested for meningitis? Or are they diagnosing based on clinical symptoms alone?

Inquiring minds want to know....

Theresa: If meningitis can be viral, I assume the virus could be influenza.

Where were the 2 people with a leg-paralyzing "maybe" BF? Was it Sudan or upper nile? Sounds like a bird's hop away from Nigeria.

It's nice to hear about good medical care, rather than all the tales of "non-existant or bad medical care" in Africa.

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