|
MENINGITIS, MENINGOCOCCAL - INDIA (06): (MEGHALAYA)
***************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Fri 3 Jul 2009
Source: Times of India [edited]
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Meningitis-claims-257-lives-since-2008-in-Meghalaya-/articleshow/4734597.cms>
A total of 257 people have lost their lives due to suspected
meningococcal meningitis in Meghalaya since 2008, the state government
said on Friday. In 2008, 130 people (10 of them confirmed) died of the
disease. This year, so far, 127 (4 confirmed) people have succumbed to
the disease. However, more than 2000 cases have so far been reported
from the state, health minister Mukul Sangma told the Assembly.
"But the situation is under control and preventive measures are being
carried out," he said. Around 10 lakh [one million] doses of vaccines
from the World Health Organisation (WHO) have been procured till now
and a free vaccination campaign in 3 affected districts is being
organised by the state government. Response teams have been
constituted to identify places where the vaccination campaign would be
taken up in due course, he added.
"Extensive awareness programmes have been taken up and preventive
medicines are being distributed free," the health minister said.
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[When last reported by ProMed-mail in mid-February 2009 (Meningitis,
meningococcal - India (04): (NE) 20090217.0661), there were said to
be 165 deaths in Meghalaya in just the 1st month of 2009; whereas, the
current report above says that there were only 127 deaths in Meghalaya
in all of the 1st 6 months of 2009. In mid-February 2009, the epidemic
also involved neighboring Indian states of Tripura and Mizoram, as
well as an adjacent region (Chittagong Hill Tracts) of Bangladesh.
Meningococcal serogroup A was said to be the culprit. At that time,
ProMED-mail reported that a vaccination program was underway, and from
the current report is still underway.
Meghalaya, a mountainous Indian state, is located between the
northeastern border of Bangladesh and the Indian state of Assam. A
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of India that shows the states
of Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram can be found at
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=22.9,79.6,5>.
A map of Bangladesh showing the location of the Chittagong Hill Tracts
that borders the Indian state of Mizoram can be found at
<http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/bangladesh/map/m3773498/chittagong_hill_tract.html>. -
Mod.ML]
[see also:
Meningitis, meningococcal - India (05): (NE, DL) 20090217.0667
Meningitis, meningococcal - India (04): (NE) 20090217.0661
Meningitis, meningococcal - India (03): (NE), RFI 20090216.0657
Meningitis, meningococcal - India (02): (NE), Bangladesh spread 20090211.0621
Meningitis, meningococcal - India: (ML) 20090117.0206
2005
----
Meningococcal disease - India (New Delhi) (06): spread 20050512.1299
Meningococcal disease - India (New Delhi) (05): spread 20050511.1295
Meningococcal disease - India (New Delhi) (04) 20050510.1287
Meningococcal disease - India (New Delhi) (03) 20050509.1273
Meningococcal disease - India (New Delhi) (02) 20050508.1269
Meningococcal disease - India (New Delhi) 20050506.1256]
...................................ml/ejp/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at
<http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Premium.shtml>
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
############################################################
|