Meningitis outbreak kills 65 in Jigawa

At least 65 people mostly children under 11 years have lost their lives to an outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in Jigawa State.

Situation reports from the state indicated that the outbreak of the disease in the state began last month and the case worsened in Nigeria/Niger republic border local government areas in the state.

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Findings indicated that a number of people lost their sense of hearing as a result of the disease in many parts of the state.

Some of the villages said to record high rate of cases include; Mele, Dungundun, Kanya Arewa and Dantanoma villages in Babura; Gumel, Maigatari and Suletankarkar Local Government Areas in Jigawa North West.

Daily Trust reports that about 100 persons have been reported dead across the state as over 360 cases where recorded.

The village head of Dungundun, Malam Alkasim Yakubu, who spoke about the outbreak of the disease said, “We lost 19 people in this village, the majority were children.”

He added that the problem started around April, but the disease continued to spread in the area last month. However, the situation worsen some weeks ago when infection and death were high.

Yakubu further stated, “19 died, 2 people lost their sense of hearing and it was shocking to us as we have never experienced such disaster. We took the patients to Danladin Gumel health post where some died there, while some of the other victims died at home before being taken to hospital. Some of them were also referred to Gumel General Hospital.”

Also speaking the Bulama (village head) of Mele village in Gumel Local Government Area, Malam Yusuf Ahmad said, “21 people died and over 30 cases recovered.”

While the village head of Kanya Arewa in Babura Local Government Area, Alhaji Akilu Dawaki stated that the CSM killed 19 people in his domain and recorded over 70 cases.

According to him, “What helps us in controlling the disease was that we locally established an isolation center and move the patients.”

When contacted the state epidemiologist, in the Ministry of Health, Malam Samaila Mahmud confirmed the outbreak.

He said, “The record available in the ministry indicated that 65 people have so far died, 257 cases recorded in 18 out of 27 local government areas of the state.”