Among the thirty people suffering from a mysterious disease, 4 have contracted meningitis. Intoxication is not ruled out, however.
The mysterious disease in Liberia could be meningitis. The World Health Organization has indicated that tests carried out on 4 deceased people have been positive for meningococcus C. Investigations continue to determine whether this infectious disease is responsible for the other deaths.
As of May 9, 31 people have been admitted to hospital, of which 13 have died. The first case emerged on April 23, the Liberian health minister reported. The day after the funeral of an imminent religious in the province of Sinoe, an 11-year-old child was hospitalized and died within an hour. He suffered from vomiting, diarrhea and confusion.
The cases then multiplied in 3 provinces: Sinoe, Montserrado (in the west, where Monrovia is located) and Grand Bassa (center-west). Very quickly, the urine, blood and plasma samples were analyzed and sent to the American Centers for Disease Prevention (CDC). Lassa fever and Ebola have been ruled out. Meningococcus C has been detected in 4 people.
Likely vaccination campaign
Until this discovery, the WHO suspected food poisoning because the unknown disease only occurred in people who participated in the ceremony. A track that she continues to explore at the CDC in Atlanta.
While waiting for the end of toxicological analyzes, the Liberian Ministry of Health is considering launching an anti-meningitis vaccination campaign. “Liberia has never experienced a case of meningitis before,” said Minister Bernice Dahn. It normally affects hot countries which have a long dry season ”.
A meningitis C epidemic is currently underway in Nigeria. By the end of April, the government had registered more than 8,000 cases, including 745 deaths. The epidemic appeared to continue to spread despite the launch of a mass vaccination campaign.
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