An Outbreak of Meningococcal Meningitis Among Children in Azare, Northern Nigeria: Epidemiology, Clinical Features and Outcome

Abstract

Meningococcal meningitis is a serious disease with high morbidity and mortality among children. It occurs in epidemics in the African meningitic belt. This study reports the epidemiology, clinical features and outcome of an outbreak of meningococcal meningitis in children. From January to December 2003, twenty two children with microbiologically proven meningococcal meningitis consecutively admitted into the paediatric ward of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Azare were analyzed. The peak incidence occurred in March and April of the same year. The ages of the patients ranged from 2 months to 12 years. There were 10 females and 12 males with a ratio of 1:1.2. Most common clinical features were fever (90.9%) and neck pain/ stiffness (80.0%). Neisseriae meningitides was cultured in the cerebrospinal fluids in 9(41%) out of 22 patients, while in 13 (59%) it yielded gram negative intracellular diplococci by gram staining. There were 4 (18.2%) deaths. This study highlights the changing epidemiological pattern of meningococcal meningitis by affecting children below the age of four years and infants.

Keywords: Meningococcal meningitis, children, clinical features and outcome.

The Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 51 (1&2) 2007: pp. 3-5