The Commissioner, Yobe State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Muhammad Sani Idriss yesterday has revealed that 20 Nigerian School Students have been killed by a Meningitis outbreak in the Country with hundreds more infected.
He further disclosed that the “meningitis belt” of sub-Saharan Africa, is moving from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, where outbreaks of the disease are common.
Idriss said that the outbreak started from the city of Potiskum and its Government Technical College has been worst hit, accounting for 17 of the deaths.
The Commissioner explained that Meningitis is an infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord, transmitted through respiratory droplets or throat secretions even as children are at higher risk of being infected.
According to the commissioner, there is record of the outbreak in different schools in the state that led to the death of 20 Student.
“We have recorded an outbreak of meningitis in six secondary schools in the state which led to the death of 20 students out of the 473 infected,” Muhammed Sani Idriss said.
Idriss assured the general public that the state government have been able to put the outbreak under control.
“The situation is under control because we have not recorded any new cases in the past two days while 370 of those hospitalised have recovered and been discharged,” Idriss added.
“The schools are under medical surveillance with isolation centres and emergency care facilities,” Idriss said.
Vanguard
