The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed Menigococcal (sero group A) etiology in three out of the eight samples collected from the hospitals in Delhi.

A three-member team of experts headed by professor AK Dutta, Department of Paediatrics of Kalawati Saran Children Hospital found that a total of 42 clinically suspected cases of Menigococcal disease had been reported since Friday in the national capital. Of these, eight patients have died. The NICD has provided prevention and control guidelines to various hospitals.

The surveillance system for early reporting of the cases is being strengthened. Facilities for rapid diagnosis of the disease are available at NICD and at all major hospitals. A sudden rise in high fever along with headache, vomiting, neck pain or skin rashes are the symptoms of the disease.

Explosive epidemics of Meningococcal Meningitis regularly hits sub-Saharan Africa and incidence rates of up to 1,000 cases per 1,00,000 inhabitants have been reported recently. Fatality rates are often as high as 15 per cent of people infected and 10 to 15 per cent of those survive meningococcal meningitis suffer from significant neurological sequelae, including mental disorders, deafness, palsies and seizures.

As per the WHO, the current need is for a polyvalent vaccine covering the four sero-groups (A, C, Y and W-135), but there are only two companies in the world manufacturing this quadrivalent vaccine worldwide at present. Hence vaccines against Meningococcal Meningitis are one of the top priorities for the WHO, UNICEF and other such organizations.