Meningitis scare at Keetmanshoop curbed

A BOY at Keetmanshoop has been treated for meningitis, but there is little risk of the disease spreading there, authorities say.

According to the Chairperson of the National Health Emergency Management Committee (NHEMC), Dr Jack Vries, the case was reported to a private doctor on July 15, when a nine-year-old boy was treated for sores around the mouth. The next day, the boy returned with a fever and headache, and when the symptoms worsened, he was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis.Vries said the boy was treated for meningitis and all his contacts were given preventive treatment.Recently, an outbreak of the highly infectious disease in the Oshikango area of the Ohangwena Region killed eight people. A vaccination campaign targeting about 80 000 people was successfully concluded in the area, with schools as the main focus.An isolated case of a 12-year-old girl was also reported at Karasburg at the beginning of the month.In the Keetmanshoop case, the boy had no travel history, and as far as the investigation could establish, he had not been in direct contact with anyone who may have been exposed to the illness up North.Symptoms of meningitis include headaches, neck stiffness, fever and dizziness. In severe cases, someone with meningitis might fall into a coma, while in young children, a bulging/protruding fontanelle (a soft spot on top of a baby’s head) may be present.nangula@namibian.com.na