The Jigawa state government has confirmed an outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) outbreak in six local government areas of the state.
The director of the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHC), Dr Shehu Sambo disclosed this in Dutse, the state capital, shortly after the flagging off of the 2024 Polio Immunization exercise during the weekend.
According to Sambo, cases of the disease were recorded early last week in Babura, Birniwa, Malam Madori, Maigari, Kaugama, and Suletankarkar LGAs.
“The local government areas where the outbreak was recorded shared boundaries with the Niger Republic,” he said.
“I can’t tell you the number of cases, but I can confirm to you that we have some cases, and all the cases have been isolated at general hospitals in those various local governments,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Sambo said the state government had taken appropriate measures to control the outbreak.
He said; “Even this morning, we dispatched teams with vaccines to go and start immunising the target population in affected areas.”
“People should also endeavour to report any sign and symptom of the disease to the nearest health facility.”
Earlier, the Explainer reported that a recent meningitis outbreak in Nigeria has killed at least 20 boarding school students and infected hundreds more in Yobe state.
Speaking on polio, the director said a total of 1.9 million children under five are targeted to be immunised in this round of immunisation exercises in the next four days.
He said, “As you can see now, His Royal Highness, the Emir of Dutse, Alh Mohammed Hamin Nuhu Muhammadu Sunusi has just flagged off the 2024 polio eradication campaign starting from today (Saturday) to the next four days.
“The campaign would be in the 27 local government areas, 278 political wards, and target 1.9 million children under five years. This is to further the immunity we have in Jigawa state. We can remember that we have never had a wild poliovirus outbreak since the year 2012.”
“On his part, the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Hamim Nuhu Sunusi, has warned parents against rejecting the vaccine, saying that it endangers the others who were vaccinated.”
