Amuru

Amuru health officials have embarked on active surveillance exercises following a suspected outbreak of meningitis that has so far left two people dead and 14 diagnosed with similar conditions in Amuru district.

Most of the victims who come from Palwong Parish in Amuru Sub County have been referred to Gulu regional referral hospital following the death of 2 people last week.

 “We have so far identified about 12 to 14 people showing signs similar to symptoms of meningitis that we have referred to the Gulu regional referral hospital,” Amuru deputy District Health Officer Charles Okwera told Acholi Times.

Okwera stated that samples from the patients have been taken to Lacor hospital in Gulu to establish if it is meningitis, which will then help them put in place measures to combat the outbreak.

“We are yet to receive the results of the tests to ascertain the exact condition but most of them feel feverish, pain in the neck and headache,” he said.

According to a monthly humanitarian update of February 2007 Amuru district reportedly registered numerous cases of meningitis between 2006 and 2007 where 3 cases of meningococcal meningitis were registered and one of the victims had a history of travel to areas in West Nile that had already experienced outbreaks.

In the same period, a total of 65 deaths caused by meningitis were registered in the West Nile districts of Arua, Koboko, Yumbe, Adjumani, Moyo and Nebbi.

As a prevention strategy, about 40 health workers from Amuru and Gulu were reoriented in the detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Meningitis.

Okwera says presently, the district is on high alert to respond to a possible meningitis outbreak. Meanwhile, residents have been alerted to report suspected cases to the nearest health units for diagnosis and medication.

Meningitis is a condition characterized by an inflammation of the meninges, the covering of the brain and spinal cord, which is most often caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infection.