23rd May, 2011
Forty one persons have died in Yobe in the last 18 months following the outbreak of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) and Measles.
This was contained in the 2010/2011 report compiled by the State Epidemiological Department, a copy of which was made available to newsmen on Sunday in Damaturu.
According to the report, the state recorded 22 deaths out of the 322 cases of CSM reported last year in 17 local government areas.
The report said four persons have so far died out of the 51 cases reported between January and May 2011.
Similarly, it said the state recorded seven deaths out of the 464 cases of measles reported last year, while eight deaths had been recorded out of the 3,022 cases so far reported this year.
The report said that the spread of meningitis in 2010 and 2011 was higher than in 2009.
Commenting on the report, Alhaji Lawal Ibrahim, the Director-General of Yobe State Health Care Management Board, described the report as authentic, saying that it provided a roadmap for controlling the diseases.
He, however, said that the outbreak of the two diseases this year was far below the epidemic range.