Maldives issues Meningococcal health alert after first fatality
HPA adds that people who meet with infected people for a short period of time or dine with them, despite direct contact, are not ‘close-contacts'.
By
Azuhaar Abdul Azeez
Following the discovery of a case of invasive meningococcal disease, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has issued health alerts and information regarding the disease.
Shared on X on Tuesday evening, HPA said that relevant information is being collected and contact tracing is being conducted. They also said that identified contacts have been made aware of the disease and been given prophylactic drugs. These are medications that prevent certain diseases from occurring.
HPA also identified some ways to determine a ‘close contact’ for meningococcal, which are people who have intimate contact with the infected person:
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People that share a home with an infected person
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People who travelled with an infected person on a long journey, whether by bus or air
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People who have been exposed to respiratory and throat secretions, such as saliva or spit from an infected person
HPA adds that people who meet with infected people for a short period of time or dine with them, despite direct contact, are not close contacts.
According to the HPA, symptoms for meningococcal appear between 1 and 10 days after infection. Symptoms listed by the HPA to look out for are:
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Headache
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Stiff neck
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Nausea and vomiting
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Confusion or disorientation
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A rash made up of pinpoints that look dark, in shades of red and purple, or a bigger area that looks like a bruise
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Seizures
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Bothered by bright light or light sensitivity
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Being sleepy, tired or fatigued
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Rapid breathing
The HPA also wrote in its X post that the Meningitis vaccine protects against the disease. The meningitis vaccine takes about two weeks to develop the body's immune system, but vaccination is required at least 2 weeks in advance to prevent the disease, HPA said.
Maldives’ football legend Mohamed Arif (Baka) passed away due to invasive meningococcal disease on Tuesday. The 38-year-old was receiving treatment at ADK hospital for high fever since returning from the Hajj pilgrimage two days ago. Baka, known as one of the finest defensive midfield players from Maldives, played an integral role in the SAFF championship wins in 2008 and 2018. His passing has led to an outpouring of condolences, especially on social media.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are aware of several cases of invasive meningococcal disease in Europe and the USA since the start of 2024, associated with travel to Saudi Arabia. However, the Hajj Corporation of Maldives maintains that it had indeed taken measures to ensure the health of pilgrims. They require pilgrims to have received specific vaccinations, including a dose of the meningitis vaccine, the corporation said on Tuesday.
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