Not fewer than three persons have died as meningitis rocked Gombe metropolis and other local governments areas of the state.
Commissioner for health, Dr Habu Dahiru, disclosed this on Thursday while addressing newsmen on the outbreak of the disease at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Gombe.
Dr Dahiru said many cases were reported in parts of the state out of which three persons have died while the rest were treated and discharged.
He gave the breakdown of the reported cases as 11 from where two were confirmed positive in Dawaki ward.
He added that fourteen (14) cases were reported in Kaltungo local government area of the state.
Other affected areas include Yamaltu-Deba where 12 suspected cases were recorded with three confirmed positive; Billiri had 8 cases and three returned positive.
“In Funakaye local government, seven cases were reported and four were confirmed positive. In Shongom local government, four cases were reported and three were confirmed positive.
“In Akko local government, we suspected only one case and only one case was confirmed.
“In Nafada local government, one case, but no case was confirmed. In Dukku local government, one case was suspected and one case was confirmed”, the commissioner said.
Dahiru explained that symptoms of the disease include extreme headache, severe fever, neck stiffness, among others.
He urged the people who noticed the symptoms to rush to any general hospital in the 11 local governments of the state, the Gombe State Specialist Hospital in Gombe or the Federal Teaching Hospital in the state capital for urgent treatment.
He warned that late treatment can lead to convulsions, deafening of the ears and deaths.
This is even as the Commissioner advised people in the state to drink lot of water for hydration, ensure proper ventilation in their houses as some of the measures to prevent themselves from the disease.
He added that the state government had already requested for vaccines from development partners as part of efforts to bring succour to the residents of the state.
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