76 people dead in Meningitis outbreak in Niger Republic

An outbreak of meningitis epidemic has killed 76 people in Niger Republic. There has been a total of 1,049 reported cases since January in the country, a health official said on Friday.

Meningitis, which can be caused by viral or bacterial infection, is an inflammation of the meninges. The symptoms of the disease are usually fever, severe headache and neck stuffiness. 

The disease could also present with increased sensitivity to light, and muscular rigidity, leading in severe cases to convulsions, delirium, and death.

At least 20 persons have been confirmed dead due to the disease in the country's capital of Niamey.

The ministry of Health said that drugs have been distributed to hospitals across the country to treat any suspected cases. The government has also launched an intensive vaccination campaign which has now seen over 132,000 people vaccinated between February and March. 

In an outbreak in 2015, the Ministry of Health said that meningitis killed over 573 people out of 8,500 cases detected in Niger.