By Ayodele Oni
Nine Local Government Areas in Sokoto State are being ravaged by meningitis, which has led to the death of no fewer than 34 persons.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had earlier raised an alert over a potential surge in meningitis, heat-related illness risks, and heat exhaustion across 12 states in Nigeria.
The states identified as high-risk include Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, and Adamawa.
According to the agency, heat index forecasts indicate dangerously high temperatures spanning the northern, central, and southern parts of the country.
In the north, temperatures are expected to climb between 40°C and 45°C, while central regions may experience 35°C to 38°C. Southern areas are projected to record temperatures ranging from 33°C to 35.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Abubakar-Wurno, who disclosed this to journalists in Sokoto, revealed that 254 suspected cases had so far been recorded, with the outbreak spreading across several communities.
According to him, most of the victims died at home before government intervention reached the affected areas.
Some residents were said to have linked the illness to spiritual attacks and mysterious circumstances, resulting in delays in seeking proper medical treatment.
As part of efforts to curtail the outbreak, the commissioner disclosed that isolation centres had been established in Dogondaji and Kurawa communities in Tambuwal and Sabon Birni local government areas.
He added that all 201 patients treated at government health facilities had been discharged.
The affected local government areas include Dange-Shuni with 26 cases, Kebbe (16), Shagari (51), Tambuwal (34), Wamakko (60), Sabon Birni (63), Bodinga (2), Kware (2) and Gada (1).
Abubakar-Wurno revealed that 24 samples were sent for laboratory analysis, out of which 16 returned negative, while eight were confirmed positive for meningitis.
He described meningitis as a serious infection affecting the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, noting that it spreads through respiratory droplets, especially in crowded and poorly ventilated environments.
The commissioner advised residents to sleep in well-ventilated rooms or outside their houses where possible to reduce the risk of transmission, adding that extreme heat conditions often worsen the disease.
He further explained that children between the ages of one and 15 were the most vulnerable, while overcrowding and the dry season winds had significantly increased the risk of transmission, posing serious public health concerns across northern states.
Abubakar-Wurno said the state government had intensified disease surveillance, laboratory testing and the provision of medications, while also strengthening laboratory capacity for improved detection and confirmation of cases.
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