LIMASSOL has had 27 cases of viral meningitis this year, 14 of them this month, and faces the spectre of a major outbreak this summer, medical experts warned yesterday.
“There are definite indications that if we continue at this rate there will be an epidemic in the summer,” senior district health officer Christalla Hadjianastasiou said yesterday.
Viral meningitis is nowhere near as dangerous as the sometimes deadly bacterial form of the disease.
Earlier this month, the Health Ministry issued a general viral meningitis warning, stating that the number of cases of the contagious disease in the first three months of 2001 was double that of the same period last year.
The 16 cases of enteric viral meningitis recorded in January, February and March prompted the ministry to issue strict guidelines on how to avoid catching the disease.
But the situation has since worsened, especially in Limassol. “For 2001 so far, we have had 30 cases of viral meningitis, 27 of them in Limassol,” Hadjianastasiou said. “This is definitely a cause for concern, especially as the cases in Limassol are going up from month to month. In March, there were eight cases and in April, 14 so far,” the medical expert said.
She said most of those affected so far were children of pre-school age, but the disease now appeared to be spreading to primary school children.
The main symptoms of viral meningitis are a high fever and headaches and the Health Ministry names strict personal and home hygiene as the best way to prevent the illness from spreading.
Last year, there was a five-fold increase in the number of those suffering from meningitis, though the vast majority of cases was not life threatening. There were 134 incidents in total, but more than three quarters were viral – the others bacterial, of which only four were meningococcal, one of the most dangerous types. In December last year, the Health Ministry said the rise in meningitis cases was not down to any particular reason and was not a cause for serious concern.
To prevent spread of the virus through personal contact, people are advised to observe strict rules of personal hygiene and general cleanliness.
The ministry urges that hands be washed regularly, eating utensils never be shared, underwear be changed daily, babies’ nappies be changed well away from food preparation areas, the mouth be covered when coughing and the hands washed immediately afterwards, that children be discouraged from hugging or kissing others and especially non family members and that pregnant mothers avoid contact with sufferers.
Health officials also say a diluted chlorine-based cleaner should be used for house cleaning, homes should be kept well aired, rubbish taken out regularly, bedclothes changed regularly and outdoor areas kept as much as possible litter-free. The ministry also advises that crowded places be avoided, especially where young children are concerned.
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