Laboratory results on four out of five suspected cases of meningitis recorded at the Ridge hospital in Accra, have tested negative.
The hospital last week recorded the five suspected cases with one confirmed to be meningococcal meningitis.
The Acting Deputy Director of Public health for the Greater Accra region, Dr John Yabina, speaking to Citi News, said there is no meningitis outbreak in Accra.
“We had five cases and one tested positive to meningococcal meningitis and then the other four we heard on Monday morning that they were all negative to the disease.”
About 40 deaths have so far been recorded as a result of different strains of meningitis in some parts of the country.
Dr. Yabina said they are currently not encouraging vaccination because “it is not available and the disease can be treated with the medication that we have. The problem has to do with patients arriving at the hospital early; some people want to go somewhere before they come to the hospital.”
He further advised citizens to report suspected cases on time to ensure timely treatment and desist from visiting overcrowded places.
On how soon the disease could be eradicated from the country, the acting Public Health Director said “it will be quite difficult because the viruses are changing their way of doing their operations so it is difficult to eradicate but we can control it.”
<<Print>>