The Kebbi State Government has announced a meningitis outbreak affecting three Local Government Areas (LGAs), with a reported 26 fatalities to date.
The State Commissioner for Health, Yanusa Ismail, provided this information during a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
Ismail indicated that there have been 248 suspected cases, with 11 samples submitted for testing, of which three have returned negative results.
Naija News reports that the commissioner identified the impacted LGAs as Gwandu, Aleiro, and Jega, detailing the death toll as follows: 18 in Gwandu, six in Jega, four in Aleiro, and one in Argungu.
In response to the outbreak, the Kebbi State Government has allocated ₦30 million to purchase medications to control the disease’s spread.
The commissioner urged citizens to practice good personal hygiene and avoid crowded environments to mitigate the risk of infection.
He also confirmed the establishment of isolation centers for the management of affected individuals.
Additionally, samples have been dispatched to Abuja for further analysis, and should the results confirm the presence of the disease, the state government will seek vaccines to prevent additional cases.
Furthermore, Channels Television has reported a case at Aleiro State University of Science and Technology, which has resulted in one death.
The commissioner acknowledged this situation and recommended that university officials implement measures to reduce overcrowding in student accommodations.
