Nigerian authorities confirm meningitis outbreak in northwest has killed 26 people since January
ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigerian authorities confirmed Tuesday that a meningitis outbreak in the northwest was behind the death of at least 26 people over several weeks.
The spread of the disease in the state of Kebbi began late January with over 200 suspected cases recorded, the state commissioner for health, Musa Ismail, told reporters in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
Ismail also said medical supplies have already been dispatched to the affected areas, and isolation centers set up to prevent the further spread of the disease.
Sokoto, another state in the northwest and about 150 kilometers (90 miles) away from Kebbi, has urged residents to remain vigilant after several cases were suspected.
Sokoto state commissioner of health, Faruk Abubakar, said residents should take precautionary measures and seek immediate medical attention at the nearest health facility if they are experiencing symptoms such as high fever, stiff neck and severe headaches.
Meningitis, more common during the hot season in Nigeria, is a significant public health challenge in Africa's most populous country that affects the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Additionally to this communicable disease, Nigeria is also battling malaria and has the highest burden in the world.
Nigeria previously received aid from the United States Agency for International Development to combat these diseases, but that support has recently been withdrawn .
Between 2022 and 2023, Nigeria, located in an area known as the African Meningitis Belt, recorded 2,765 suspected cases and 190 deaths, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2024, the World Health Organization said 153 people died in a similar outbreak.
The west African country is working to implement a roadmap approved by the World Health Assembly in November 2020 that aims to eradicate meningitis by 2030.
Nigeria has 36 states.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
WHO: New coronavirus variant seen only sporadically in Germany
The new coronavirus variant spreading globally, especially in parts of Asia, has not taken hold in Germany, according to the World Health Organization. The variant, known as NB.1.8.1, was first detected in January and has been classified by the WHO as a "variant under monitoring." In Germany, the variant was first detected at the end of March and has so far only appeared sporadically, according to the country's public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). "No trend can be derived here; current Covid case numbers are low, and correspondingly less sequencing is being conducted," the institute stated. University of Basel biophysicist Richard Neher said whether this variant "will establish itself [in Germany] depends on how other variants evolve. It is quite possible that NB.1.8.1 will prevail, but it is likely to be relatively insignificant." In the most recent reporting week, which ended on June 8, the RKI recorded 698 Covid cases - a slight increase - but the institute noted this is off a very low base. Many infections are likely going undetected due to limited testing. Slight increase in virus load in wastewater Wastewater monitoring also showed a slight increase in SARS-CoV-2 levels over the past four weeks – albeit still at a low level. The new NB.1.8.1 strain is derived from the XDV.1.5 lineage dominant in East Asia, according to biophysicist Neher. The state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua, citing the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention, reported that the new strain had become China's dominant variant by the end of May. "The variant is increasing in frequency compared to other variants," Neher noted. NB.1.8.1 is therefore more transmissible in the sense that an infection generates more secondary infections than other strains. No evidence of more severe cases There is no evidence that NB.1.8.1 causes more severe illness, Chinese authorities have said. This aligns with the WHO's assessment that, despite rising case and hospitalization numbers in countries where the variant is widespread, there is currently no indication that it causes more serious illness than other circulating variants. Covid-19 vaccines currently approved are expected to protect against severe illness caused by NB.1.8.1, the WHO said.
San Francisco Chronicle
14 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
New COVID variant linked to painful ‘razor blade throat' symptom
As summer brings another rise in COVID-19 infections, patients across Asia, Europe and North America are reporting a searing sore throat so intense it has earned a dramatic nickname: ' razor blade throat.' Though not a new symptom, the phenomenon has gained fresh attention amid the spread of a fast-moving Omicron subvariant, formally known as NB.1.8.1 and colloquially as 'Nimbus.' Patients in China and elsewhere describe the pain as akin to 'swallowing shattered glass,' with some saying they've been left unable to speak, eat, or even stay hydrated. 'Post-COVID razor blade throat is brutal — swollen, painful, and I can barely speak,' one user wrote on Weibo, China's leading social media platform, according to Chinese-language media. Another said, 'I've been hit with razor blade throat and feel completely drained.' Despite the visceral nickname, health experts emphasize that the symptom is not unique to this latest wave. 'Sore throat is a common symptom of COVID and not novel at all, and not associated with any one variant, including NB.1.8.1,' said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF. 'There has been a range of intensity of sore throat with COVID symptoms all along, including very severe pain.' He noted that up to 70% of people infected with COVID-19 report a sore throat. Other common symptoms include fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and congestion — all consistent with earlier strains of the virus. 'Current data do not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,' according to the World Health Organization, which last month designated NB.1.8.1 as a SARS-CoV-2 ' variant under monitoring.' The agency noted, however, that the subvariant appears more immune-evasive than the dominant LP.8.1 lineage. In China, where the current wave began in March, cases are expected to peak by late June. The NB.1.8.1 variant has since been detected in over 20 countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, with early outbreaks noted in California, Washington and New York. Last month, an average of about 250 people died each week from COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors continue to urge the public to stay up to date on vaccinations and take precautions, especially those in high-risk groups. 'To me, it is a reminder that even if you don't end up in urgent care or in the hospital, COVID can still make you very sick in 2025,' Chin-Hong said. 'As the summer approaches, we will likely see another wave of infections, likely fueled by variants like NB.1.8.1. Wastewater is already showing a bump in some areas in California and the US.' With COVID-19 expected to remain a persistent — if more manageable — presence, health officials continue to emphasize a familiar message: masks, handwashing, vaccination, and staying home when sick remain the best defense, razor blade throat or not. For those experiencing severe throat pain, Chin-Hong recommends over-the-counter treatments like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
New Covid Variant Causes Sore Throat That Feels Like 'Razor Blades'
A new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 is circulating, and is believed to be more contagious than previous mutations The variant, NB.1.8.1, has been informally dubbed "Nimbus," and causes a severe sore throat that's been likened to "razor blades" This latest mutation has been called a "strong candidate for the summer surge" of Covid casesA new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 has already caused a surge in cases in Asia — and its signature symptom is a severe sore throat that feels like 'razor blades.' Covid variant NB.1.8.1 — which has informally been dubbed 'Nimbus' — is being monitored by the World Health Organization as this latest mutation of the wildly contagious virus already makes up more than 10% of cases in Asia, Salon reports, adding that it's now been detected in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The variant has a high 'immune evasion, supporting its potential for future dominance,' according to a pre-print study that has not yet been peer-reviewed. This strain, Salon reports, causes 'razor blade throat,' or a severe sore throat; Other symptoms include traditional flu-like symptoms like congestion, fatigue, a mild cough, fever, and muscle aches, and more infrequently diarrhea and nausea, The Independent reports. Per that outlet, WHO says global risk is 'currently low, and existing Covid-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease.' But as Dr. Rajendram Rajnarayanan, of the New York Institute of Technology, told Salon, 'NB.1.8.1 is a strong candidate for the summer surge.' 'I know that everybody wants to forget about this disease, but it's not going to allow us to,' Dr. Janko Nikolich, Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine said, according to ABC Action News. The news comes amid the Trump administration, under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., rolling back Covid vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. Newborn babies are better protected against the virus if their mother receives the vaccine, Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a statement, per NPR. "The science has not changed," he said. "It is very clear that COVID infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
