Dr. Gloria Amegatcher, Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, has disclosed that cerebrospinal meningitis is a severe condition that causes inflammation of the meninges, the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. If not promptly diagnosed and treated, it can lead to complications, including death.
She explained that CSM is most often caused by infection (bacteria, virus, fungi, or parasite), with bacterial meningitis caused by several bacterial pathogens, including _Neisseria_ _meningitidis_, _Streptococcus_ _pneumoniae_, and _Haemophilus_ _influenzae_. Symptoms of meningitis include severe headache, stiff neck, high fever, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion, seizures, and extreme fatigue.
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Dr. Amegatcher noted that there was a need for heightened surveillance to deal with the outbreak of CSM in parts of Northern Ghana. She indicated that, as professionals, they are concerned about the situation, since there is insufficient capacity for laboratory confirmation due to a lack of infrastructure and reagents. Additionally, there is a lack of vaccine for the prevailing strain (_Streptococcus_ _pneumoniae_).
The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) has called on the government to support the improvement of testing capacities in district and municipal hospitals in the Northern part of Ghana. This includes outfitting laboratories with essential diagnostic tools, especially microbiology laboratories, which play a critical role in healthcare, research, and public health.
When asked about the mode of spread, Dr. Amegatcher said that bacterial meningitis is contagious and can be transmitted through tiny droplets of respiratory secretions from infected persons during close contact, such as coughing, sneezing, or coming into close contact with the saliva of an infected person. However, she ruled out that CSM can spread through sexual intercourse, but stressed that if one engages in deep kissing with an infected person while having sex, they are at risk of contracting it.
“It spreads through respiratory droplets,” she told host Kwabena Agyapong. “If I come into contact with tiny droplets of respiratory secretions from an infected person, such as kissing, coughing, or sneezing, I will contract it. If you are overcrowded or in enclosed areas, such as dormitories, rooms, closed quarters, and other facilities, the disease can easily spread, especially if there is no ventilation.”
