THE NUMBER of viral meningitis cases is on the decrease, but health officials yesterday warned the public to remain vigilant.
This month showed only two new cases in the Famagusta district and two new cases in Limassol.
According to Chief Medical Officer Chrystalla Hadjianastassiou, this proves that the public has been taking precautionary measures.
One hundred and twenty four cases of the highly contagious disease have been recorded so far this year – 99 of them in the Limassol area, 13 in the Famagusta district, eight in Nicosia, and two each in Larnaca and Paphos.
“Considering we were having reports of new cases nearly every day in the month of July, the four reported so far this month prove that people have been careful,” said Hadjianastassiou.
The main symptoms of viral meningitis, which is nowhere near as dangerous as the sometimes deadly bacterial form of the disease, are a high fever and headaches.
The Health Ministry first issued a viral meningitis warning in April this year, saying the number of cases of the contagious disease in the first three months of 2001 was double that of the same period last year.
Hadjianastassiou urged that hands be washed regularly, eating utensils never be shared and precautions be taken when preparing food.
Health officials 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 litter-free.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
