Meningitis outbreak kills 65 in northern Nigeria

By Adam Abu-Bashal

ABUJA, Nigeria (AA) - At least 65 people have died in northern Nigeria’s Jigawa state from an outbreak of meningitis, an official said Thursday.

Around 280 confirmed cases of the disease have also been reported in the state since the beginning of May, said Malam Samaila Mahmud, the chief epidemiologist in the state Ministry of Health.

Mahmud said many people have lost their sense of hearing due to the outbreak across the state.

Saying that efforts have been launched to bring the outbreak under control, he called on people to immediately go to the hospital if they experience neck pain and headache.

Meningitis is a serious infection and a major public health challenge.

It is transmitted among people through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from infected people.

Close and prolonged contact or living in close quarters with an infected person enables the spread of the disease.