Meningitis Outbreak Spreads in Kebbi, Nigeria

A total of 653 suspected cases had been reported in 5 local government areas, specifically, Aliero, Jega, Gwandu, Birnin Kebbi, and Bunza. Among the reported cases, 55 have died from their infections.

Advice

The risk of exposure for the general traveller will vary from place to place, but it may be high in some localities. Travellers to African countries in the sub-Saharan meningitis belt, e.g., Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, Kenya, Togo and Uganda during the dry season (December to June) can reduce the risk of exposure to meningitis by obtaining a vaccination against meningitis prior to travelling in these countries.