Meningitis in Niger State, Nigeria

An outbreak of meningitis has claimed 16 lives in Niger state. A total of 31 cases have been registered in Magama, Rijau, Kontagora and Agwara. Nationwide, there have been 392 suspected and confirmed cases of this infection, including 49 deaths in 21 states.

Advice

Travellers to African countries in the sub-Saharan meningitis belt, e.g., The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Togo, and Eritrea, 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.