Plateau govt confirms outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in southern zone

FOLLOWING the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in Plateau State, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kunden Deyin, disclosed that Plateau has recorded five suspected cases of the ailment in  Langtang South and Mikang LGA in  the southern senatorial part of the state.

Dr Deyin who disclosed this in an interview in Jos said the outbreak in the southern zone was received with shock, adding that the officials of the Ministry of Health and government agencies have been deployed to the affected communities to arrest the situation and to prevent it from spreading further.

He said the national policy on meningitis now stipulated that before any case is confirmed as being that of meningitis, a blood sample or cerebrospinal fluid must have been diagnosed at a government approved medical laboratory.

According to him, it is the results from such a laboratory that will confirm the case as being that of cerebrospinal meningitis adding the people also should avoid self treatment or treatment from quacks

The commissioner further stated that those persons suspected to be suffering from the diseases had commenced treatment with antibiotics adding that two other people suspected to have the disease were yet to commence treatment because result of their blood sample is not yet out.

He said major symptoms of cerebra-spinal meningitis are: Severe headaches, fever and neck stiffness and called on the public to be vigilant and report any of such symptoms promptly to the nearest health facility.

Dr Deyin also advised people to always desist from staying in overcrowded places and sleep in well ventilated rooms.