African alert calls for meningitis vaccine

		A recent epidemic of bacterial meningitis or meningococcal disease in South West Chad and North Dafur State, Sudan, highlights the ongoing risks facing travellers to the so-called meningitis belt, an area that bisects Central Africa stretching from Mali across to Ethiopia.

Although meningococcal disease can be found all over the globe, incidence in this area is particularly high. Meningitis is regularly reported during the dry season, from December to June, and large-scale epidemics occur throughout the region every 8-12 years.

Potentially fatal, especially if treatment is delayed, bacterial meningitis also causes physical handicap, brain damage and deafness in a significant percentage of its victims. Symptoms can develop in just a few hours or over a few days. They range from flu-like fever to nausea, sleepiness and a dislike of bright lights. A clear sign can often be the onset of septicaemia, shown by a distinctive rash of tiny red spots, one which doesn't go white or temporarily disappear when pressed with a glass surface. This demands urgent medical attention.

Outbreaks of meningococcal disease can pose a particular risk to travellers to this area of Africa not least because many people can carry and transmit the bacteria that spread the disease without any sign of infection. The situation is exacerbated in Sub Saharan Africa where disease surveillance and reporting are at best, patchy. Anyone with upper respiratory infections, who smokes or is regularly exposed to smoke is also considered to be at a higher risk of infection.

Programmes of mass immunisation are beginning in both countries but travellers should ensure they receive a meningococcal vaccine before arriving in the area. Although not listed in their main catalogue, our colleagues at medekit.com have supplies of vaccine for the vaccine preventable serogroup A,C,Y and W-135. The current outbreaks have been identified as Neisseria meningitides A, the predominant serogroup in Chad and W-135 in Sudan. Prices for the meningitis vaccines can be confirmed on application. If you would like more information please contact medekit's Jason Hunter, jason.hunter@medekit.com.