Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says cerebrospinal meningitis has killed no fewer than 118 persons in 22 states across 79 Local Government Areas in the country.
This is contained in the October 2022 to April 2, 2023 data released by the NCDC on Saturday.
Meningitis is described as an inflammation of the meninges, a thin layer of the connective tissue that covers the brain and the spinal cord. It can be caused by a variety of organisms – bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi.
Tackling the disease has become a priority and an ever-present public health threat in several countries worldwide with frequent epidemics that present a challenge for people, health systems, economies, and societies.
According to the Centre, 235 confirmed cases and 1,479 suspected cases have been recorded so far during the period under review.
The Case Fatality Ratio stands at 9.3 per cent.
The 22 affected states are Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
The NCDC report partly reads, “As of April 2, 2023, a total of 1,479 suspected cases including 118 deaths (CFR 9.3 per cent) reported from 22 states in 2022/2023 CSM seasons.
“A total of 512 samples collected, 235 confirmed with 46 per cent positivity rate since the beginning of the CSM seasons 2022/2023.”
The age group most affected is five to 14. Males were 57 per cent and females were 43 per cent.
The report added, “Ninety-three per cent of all cumulative cases were from five states – Jigawa (1,064 cases), Yobe (234 cases), Zamfara (36 cases), Bauchi (23 cases), and Adamawa (21 cases).
“Fourteen LGAs across four states, Jigawa (8), Yobe (4), Bauchi (1) and Zamfara (1), reported more than 10 cases each this CSM season 2022/2023.”
NCDC stated that its national multi-sectoral technical working group is coordinating response activities in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, and development partners.