Meningitis in Mali: 22 new cases in past week
The Mali Ministry of Health (MOH) reported an additional 22 bacterial meningitis cases from six regions in the past week, bringing the total for the year to 415 (68 confirmed).
This is a two-fold increase compared to the previous week.
No deaths have been reported.
Of the total confirmed cases, bacteria isolated include: Streptococcus pneumoniae (33), Haemophilus influenzae (14), Neisseria meningitidis type C (7), Neisseria meningitidis type X (2) and Neisseria meningitidis type W135 (11).
In 2023, the national meningitis vaccination coverage among children, <5 years in Mali, was 94 percent.
According to the World Health Organization, meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is usually caused by infection. It can be fatal and requires immediate medical care.
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Meningitis can be caused by several species of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Most infections can be transmitted from person to person. Injuries, cancers and drugs cause a small number of cases.
Bacterial meningitis is the most common dangerous type of meningitis and can be fatal within 24 hours.Â
Meningitis can affect people of any age.
There are effective treatments and vaccines against some of the main bacterial causes of meningitis. However, meningitis remains a significant threat around the world.
Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple
There are four main causes of acute bacterial meningitis:
Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
Haemophilus influenzae
Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus)
These bacteria are responsible for more than half of the deaths from meningitis globally and they cause other severe diseases like sepsis and pneumonia.
Mali is part of the African meningitis belt, a region in sub-Saharan Africa where the rate of incidence of meningitis is very high. It extends from Senegal to Ethiopia, and the primary cause of meningitis in the belt is Neisseria meningitidis.
Since the beginning of the year, a total of 6794 meningitis cases (1437 confirmed) and 492 deaths (CFR 7.27%) have been reported from four African Union Member States (Central African Republic, Mali, Niger and Nigeria).