There are no confirmed cases of cerebrospinal meningitis in Oyo State, Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Azeez Adeduntan has said.
Adeduntan, who stated this on Friday, said the state only had eight suspected cases, whereby laboratory examination proved that there were no organisms in the cerebrospinal fluid of the cases.
He said the cases only had some similar symptoms of meningitis but ruled out its outbreak in the state.
“As of today, there are no epidemic of cerebrospinal meningitis in Oyo state. As of today, we have not recorded confirmed cases. We have had about eight suspected cases, four from General hospital, Moniya, another three or four from Oni memorial.”
“We don’t confirm cases based on symptoms and signs; we confirm based on laboratory evidence because meningitis can be mimicked by a lot of other diseases.”
“In Oyo State, there are no confirmed cases of cerebrospinal meningitis. So the people of the state should not panic.”
He disclosed that the state government had dedicated wards at the Ring Road State Hospital and another at Oni Memorial Hospital for children to treat index cases.
Speaking further, Adeduntan said that the state had the requisite facilities and antibiotics to attend to cases of meningitis.
Noting the destructive nature of meningitis type C, Adeduntan averred that the state government collaborated with the federal ministry of health to get the needed vaccines.
He warned people to watch being in crowded places, while admonishing mothers to wash their hands after attending to their babies and maintain good hygiene.
Adeduntan explained that the bacteria could be transmitted from one person to another through droplets of respiratory, throat secretions and facilitated by coughing, sneezing on someone by an infected person.