TheCable

Jide Idris, Lagos state commissioner for health, has dismissed the reports of two deaths from cerebrospinal meningitis in the state.

On Friday, the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) had released statistics which claimed that the disease killed two people in the state.

The statistics also indicated that three cases were recorded in Lagos so far.

Adeola Salako, director, public affairs in the state ministry of health, quoted Idris as saying  the report was false and capable of causing undue panic.

“The report is untrue and does not represent the reality of the situation in Lagos state as at today,” Idris was quoted to have said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there are two main types of meningitis.

“The epidemic prone meningitis, which is referred to as cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM), is caused by a bacteria called neisseria meningitides.

“Its occurrence is seasonal or cyclical, depending on the level of herd immunity and climatic conditions.

“The second type of meningitis is non-epidemic meningitis, which is usually caused by a virus or other bacteria, but not by neisseria meningitides.

“The non-epidemic meningitis occurs without any seasonal pattern or periodicity.”

Idris said sometime in March, a disease surveillance notification officer in the Lagos Island local government, reported nine suspected cases of meningitis from Massey Street Children Hospital with two deaths.

He said, however, that none of these was confirmed as due to CSM.

“Although, all the nine cases presented with clinical features of meningitis at that hospital, laboratory tests proved that they were either due to Haemophilus influenza or Streptococcus pneumoniae and not Neisseria meningitides,” he said.

“The ministry was also notified last week of a three-year-old boy, presenting clinically as meningitis at a registered private facility in Lagos, but the laboratory investigations did not confirm CSM.

“The blood culture yielded no growth but the urine culture yielded Klebsiella and not meningococcus; the patient is already responding to treatment.

“None of these cases, presented with a history of recent travel to any area with an outbreak of meningitis and neither were visits from such areas recorded with the aforementioned cases.’’

Idris urged the public to observe a high standard of personal and environmental hygiene as a preventive measure against the outbreak of the disease.

He said such hygiene measures should include washing of hands with soap and water frequently and thoroughly.

“Also, avoid direct contact with the discharges from an infected person and covering of mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing,” he said.

“It is strongly advised that people should avoid overcrowding in living quarters, provide cross ventilation in sleeping and work-rooms and other places where many people come together.

“People should get vaccinated with CSM vaccine when they travel to areas where meningitis outbreaks have been reported.’’

Idris appealed to the people to support the efforts of government to prevent the spread of the epidemic to the state.

Such support, he said should include reporting suspected cases to the nearest public health facility.