4 Men-C Deaths This Year: Akbar
Ms Akbar said the Central Division reported 27 cases, Western Division 16 cases, Eastern Division one case and Northern Division had two cases.
Fiji has recorded four deaths caused by the meningococcal disease so far this year. This was revealed by the Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar in Parliament yesterday. Ms Akbar said on March 20 this year the ministry declared a national outbreak of meningococcal C after a review was made on the evidence and recommendations by health experts on the National Meningococcal Taskforce. Ms Akbar said there have been 46 cases from January 1 to April 12, 2018.
She said from the 46 cases, 22 cases were laboratory confirmed and 24 were either suspected or probable cases with similar symptoms, but not diagnosed by laboratory. Ms Akbar said the Central Division reported 27 cases, Western Division 16 cases, Eastern Division one case and Northern Division had two cases.
“There have been four confirmed meningococcal disease related deaths and two suspected from January 1 to April 12, 2018,” she said.
“As of April 12, all cases were in the age groups less than 19 years. “Of this, males account for 63 per cent of cases while females account for 37 per cent.”
She said the current case number for 2018 includes a cluster of cases reported from Navesau Adventist High School in Ra.
Ms Akbar stated the first case was reported on February 28 and so far there had been 10 cases as of April 12, with the latest case reported April 19.
She said from the fourth quarter of 2016 to date there had been a significant increase in reported cases of meningococcal disease with 29 cases by the end of the year.
In 2017 there were 48 cases with a total of seven deaths reported. She said the 2017 cases included an outbreak at St John’s College in Cawaci, Ovalau.
Ms Akbar said the seven cases were reported from January to June 2017 with up to two students getting sick within a month and the outbreak was caused by serogroup C Neisseria Meningitidis. She added that intervention was taken and the ministry staff visited the college on Ovalau and inspected the school and antibiotics were given to the students and vaccination was given.