LifeKills --- Epidemics

Meningitis epidemics - Strikes again..., is this a natural lifekill or is it a man made lifekill agent?

it has a sign of man made only strikes and kill human the animals are left alone.

"N. meningitidis only infects humans; there is no animal reservoir"

First recorded 1805 when an outbreak swept through Geneva, Switzerland. But most of the outbreak happens mainly in:

"West Africa every year, affecting 25 000 to 200 000 people, particularly children"

"The highest burden of meningococcal disease occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, which is known as the “Meningitis Belt”, an area that stretches from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, with an estimated total population of 300 million people."

But don't worry if you feel lefted out, if you're not living in Africa, we do have strain for you at in local area:

"Serogroups B and C together account for a large majority of cases in Europe and the Americas. Several local outbreaks due to N. meningitidis serogroup C have been reported in Canada and USA (1992-93) and in Spain (1995-97). For 10 years, the meningococcal meningitis activity has particularly increased in New Zealand where an average of 500 cases occurs every year"

"There is increasing evidence of serogroup W135 being associated with outbreaks of considerable size. In 2000 and 2001 several hundred pilgrims attending the Hajj in Saudia Arabia were infected with N. meningitidis W135. Then in 2002, W135 emerged in Burkina Faso, striking 13,000 people and killing 1,500"

But don't worry we do have several vaccines to combat those different strain of bacteria. One thing will not kill you but another will...

" All these vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective with infrequent and mild side effects. The vaccines may not provide adequate protection for 10 to 14 days following injection."

"cannot be used in children under 2 years of age because they lack the ability to develop antibodies" [lifekill will work here kill off the young and there won't be any new growth, how sweet]

"Furthermore, even large scale coverage with current vaccines does not provide sufficient 'herd immunity'. " [Nice, W.H.O. even call people herds haha]

Now in recent news just 2 days ago they have reported that "the first time there have been so many cases in northern Nigeria, an area she describes as being outside the usual African 'meningitis belt.' " So it is spreading to parts that was never touch before now they are getting the epidemics. Read all about it on the bottom:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iORPmtBubyPP2owmNXHvGrXpU4xA

Meningitis death toll reaches 960 in Nigeria; 17,000 people infected

2 days ago

GENEVA — The death toll from a severe outbreak of meningitis in Nigeria has risen to 960.
The World Health Organization says some 17,000 people have been infected with the disease since Jan. 1.
WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib says it is the first time there have been so many cases in northern Nigeria, an area she describes as being outside the usual African "meningitis belt."
Chaib says a total of 17,462 cases of meningitis have been reported in the three-month outbreak in Africa's most populous country and that the WHO and other agencies are helping to vaccinate people against the disease.
She says there has also been a smaller outbreak to the north in Niger, which lies within the area more commonly affected by the disease, stretching from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east.
Chaib said Niger has reported 4,513 people infected since the beginning of the year, with 169 deaths.
Nigeria has had meningitis epidemics during each of the last three years, but they were smaller than this year.
In the last week alone, Niger has registered 1,071 cases, including 30 deaths.
Meningitis is an inflammation of protective brain and spinal cord membranes and is caused by viral or bacterial infection.
"A meningitis epidemic is always serious," said Chaib. "It overwhelms the health facilities, disrupts routine activities, kills between five and 10 per cent of the patients and can cause brain damage in 10 to 20 per cent of those who survive."