Outbreak of meningitis in Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared an outbreak of meningitis in the north-eastern Tshopo Province where 261 suspected cases and 129 deaths - a high case fatality ratio of 50 percent - have been reported, Report informs referring to ReliefWeb.

The health authorities have deployed an initial emergency team, and with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), efforts are underway to quickly ramp up the response.

More than 1.6 million people aged between 1 and 29 years were vaccinated in a massive campaign in 2016 in Tshopo, which lies in the African meningitis belt that runs across the continent from Senegal to Ethiopia and comprises 26 countries. The African meningitis belt is the most vulnerable globally to recurrent outbreaks.

Meningitis is potentially fatal and is a medical emergency. Admission for treatment is necessary, and appropriate antibiotic treatment must be started as soon as possible. Over the years, major improvements have been made on vaccines, which are specific to the type of meningitis.