Nine people, six of them males, have died following the outbreak of meningitis in Rukwa Region, while two patients are admitted to Rukwa Regional Hospital here.
Sumbawanga Municipal Council Medical Officer, Dr Ally Mussa Makori, revealed to reporters that the outbreak of the disease was first reported on September 7, this year and until Wednesday nine people had died while undergoing treatment at the regional health facility.
He added that 30 people were reported to have contracted the desease, but 19 of them were treated and discharged. Outbreak of the airborne disease was reported in Chanji, Izia, Old Sumbawanga, Kantalamba, Malangali and Mazwi wards in the municipality, as well as at Muze ward in the Lake Rukwa Basin in Sumbawanga District.
“Until Wednesday, out of 30 patients who were admitted to the regional hospital, 19 had been discharged while only two patients were still being treated at the health facility, whose conditions are described as improving,’’ added Dr Makori.
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria or other micro-organisms and less commonly by certain drugs.
Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation’s proximity to the brain and the spinal cord; hence the condition is classified as a medical emergency. According to medical literature, the most common symptoms of meningitis are headache and neck stiffness associated with fever, confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting and inability to tolerate light (photophobia) or loud noise (phonophobia).
Children often exhibit only non-specific symptoms, such as irritability and drowsiness. If a rash is present, it may indicate a particular cause of meningitis; for instance, meningitis caused by the meningococcal bacteria may be accompanied by a characteristic rash.
By PETI SIYAME, Tanzania Daily News
