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The Niger State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mustapha Jibril, said on Friday that the government has spent N39 million to combat the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in the state. Dr. Muhammed Usman, the Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health – who represented the Commissioner at a press briefing in Minna – said 4,100 tablets of Ciprofloxacin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, had been distributed to contacts of suspected cases and health workers in the affected areas.

Jibril said 12 Local Government Areas were affected by the outbreak, with a total of 33 deaths recorded out of 123 confirmed cases of CSM.

“Magama LGA had 70 cases and recorded 31 deaths; in Rijau, 17 cases were recorded with one death; Kontagora had a record of 19 cases with one death. The remaining nine LGAs are Suleja with six cases; Agwara, two cases; Paikoro, one case; Mashegu one case; Tafa, one case; Mariga, one case; Lapai had one; Beji, one; and Bosso Local Government, one case without any death,” the Commissioner for Health said. ‎

The Commissioner said the state is collaborating with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and Doctors without Borders to respond to the outbreak.

According to WHO, CSM is a bacterial form of Meningococcal meningitis, a serious infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It can cause severe brain damage. It is fatal in 50% of cases if untreated. Viral Meningitis is, however, less severe as patients tend to recover completely without specific therapy.

The 2017 CSM outbreak in Nigeria has led to over 700 deaths out of 4,637 suspected cases across five states, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger States.

So far, WHO said it has sent 341,000 doses of meningitis C vaccine funded by Gavi; the Vaccine Alliance, to Niger State. In addition to the administration of vaccines, WHO said the the International Coordinating Group (ICG) also sent 20,000 vials of antibiotic to treat confirmed cases in Nigeria.

“Vaccination can drastically reduce the magnitude of the epidemic,” said Dr. Sylvie Briand, Director of Infectious Hazard Management at WHO. “But in addition, it is essential to strengthen the care of all those affected by the infection and to ensure those people living in hard-to-reach areas can get treatment.”

Usman adviced the general public to protect themselves from people with flu because the disease is airborne and could spread through coughing and sneezing. He also warned against sleeping in crowded rooms and urged residents of the state to report cases of persistent headaches and neck pain to the nearest hospital.