Not fewer than three persons have died as meningitis epidemic hits Gombe metropolis and other local governments areas of the state.
State commissioner for health Dr Habu Dahiru disclosed this on Thursday while addressing newsmen on the disease’s outbreak at the state emergency operation centre.
According to him, many cases were reported in parts of the state out of which three people died of the disease while the rest were treated and discharged.
Breaking down the figures, the commissioner stated that Gombe Local Government (LG) reported 11 cases where two were confirmed positive in Dawaki ward. He added that Kaltungo local government reported 14 cases.
Other affected areas, he noted are Yamaltu-Deba where 12 suspected cases were recorded with three confirmed positive, Billiri, 8 cases with three returned positive.
“In Funakaye LG, seven cases were reported with four confirmed positive. In Shongom LG, four cases were reported and three were confirmed positive. In Akko LG, we suspected only one case and only one case was confirmed.
“In Nafada LG, one case but no case was confirmed. In Dukku, one case was suspected and one case was confirmed,” he said.
Dahiru explained that symptoms of the disease include extreme headache, severe fever, neck stiffness among others, urging people who noticed the symptoms to rush to any general hospital in the 11 local government areas of the state, the Gombe State Specialist Hospital in Gombe or the Federal Teaching Hospital in the state capital for urgent treatment.
He warned that late treatment could lead to convulsions, deafening of the ears and deaths. This is even as he advised people in the state to drink lots of water for hydration, ensure proper ventilation in their houses as some of the measures to prevent the disease.
The state government, he said, had already requested for vaccines from development partners as part of efforts to bring succour to the residents of the state.
