ABUJA: An outbreak of meningitis in Nigeria has killed 269 people in recent weeks, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said, as Africa's most populous country and aid organizations attempt to tackle the surge in infections. At least 140 people have died in several states in Nigeria due to an outbreak of meningitis, officials have said. More than 2,000 people died from an outbreak of the disease in Nigeria in 2009, with basic healthcare limited in rural parts of the country, where most people live on less than US$2 a day, despite the country's huge oil resources. The illness causes acute inflammation of the outer layers of the brain and spinal cord, with the most common symptoms being fever, headache and neck stiffness.
Over the last week, a meningitis outbreak has killed at least 140 people in Nigeria.