Nine suspected Meningitis cases in Lagos prove negative-LASG

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government on Sunday said nine suspected cases of Meningitis recorded on Lagos Island have proved negative after the affected individuals were subjected to clinical laboratory tests.

The government insisted that no death has been recorded in the state due to Cerebrospinal Meningitis, CRM, saying that it was serious on the alert to avert any outbreak of the disease.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris in a statement disclosed that though the Disease Surveillance Notification Officer, Lagos Island Local Government reported nine suspected cases of meningitis from Massey Street Children Hospital in Week 13 of this year with two deaths, none of these was confirmed as due to the causative agent of CSM.

He further revealed that though all the nine cases presented with clinical features of meningitis at the said hospital, but that laboratory tests proved that they were either due to Haemophilus influenza or Streptococcus pneumoniae and not Neisseria meningitis.

Idris said the report of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC was false, for the avoidance of doubt, there were two main types of meningitis.

“The epidemic prone meningitis which is referred to as Cerebro-spinal meningitis (CSM) is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria Meningitidis and 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. This type of meningitis is usually caused by a virus or other bacteria, but not by Neisseria Meningitidis. The Non-epidemic meningitis occurs without any seasonal pattern or periodicity,” he said.

Idris, in addition, said that the Ministry of Health was also notified last week of a three year old boy presenting clinically as meningitis at a registered private facility in Lagos but that the laboratory investigations did not confirm CSM.

According to him “the blood culture yielded no growth but the urine culture yielded Klebsiella and not meningococcus. The patient is already is 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 reiterated that the Lagos State government’s firm resolve to prevent and control the spread of the epidemic in the state and urged the people of the state to support governmental effort by reporting suspected cases to the nearest public
health facility or call 08037170614, 08023169485.

The Commissioner also underscored the need for the observance of a high standard of personal and environmental hygiene as a preventive measure against the outbreak of the disease, noting that such hygiene measures should include washing of hands with soap
and water frequently and thoroughly, avoiding direct contact with the discharges from an infected person and covering of mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

“It is strongly advised for people to avoid overcrowding in living quarters, provide cross ventilation in sleeping and work-rooms and other places where many people come together and get vaccinated with CSM vaccine when you are travelling to areas where Meningitis outbreaks have been reported”, he added.

Idris noted that health workers in the state had already been placed on red alert, while the disease and surveillance teams consisting of epidemiologists were also intensifying their surveillance and monitoring activities.

“Health workers are also advised to avoid close and prolonged contacts with suspected and probable cases of CSM, ensure proper disposal of respiratory and throat secretions of cases, report suspected or probable cases and observe universal precaution and make use of personal protective equipment when in contact with such cases”.

“There is no need to panic. We will continue with our surveillance activities, constantly review our records and brief the public from time to time”, he added.