Although 46 contacts have been identified, no further cases of meningococcal disease have been confirmed by the end of contact tracing, an HPA official said.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced today that contact tracing for Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) has been completed, and no additional cases have been identified.
Local footballer Mohamed Arif (Baka) was diagnosed with the disease following his return after completing Hajj. He passed away last Tuesday while receiving treatment in the ICU at ADK Hospital. Reports described his condition as involving high fever and flu-like symptoms, which appeared three days after his return from the Hajj pilgrimage.
Although 46 contacts have been identified, no further cases of meningococcal disease have been confirmed by the end of contact tracing, an HPA official said.
The Ministry of Health also said that there is no reason to initiate mass vaccinations as the disease has not been identified as having spread.
Getting vaccinated for meningococcal disease is recommended for those traveling to Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage, or to countries where there is a risk of contracting the disease, the Ministry said. HPA also issued advisories for those at risk of contracting the disease on their social media handles.
Annual data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) on reported cases and incidences of IMD show that three cases of the disease had appeared in Maldives over the past six years. Two of these cases were reported in 2023 with the most recent case confirmed by HPA was Arif.
Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. The bacteria causes two types of meningococcal infections which are meningococcal meningitis and meningococcal septicemia.
With meningococcal septicemia infection, the bacteria enter the bloodstream and damage the walls of blood vessels, causing bleeding in the skin and organs. In meningococcal meningitis infections, the bacteria affect the meninges, causing acute inflammation of the tissue and fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Although both infections are serious and can be deadly in a matter of hours, HPA has assured that vaccination can prevent contraction of the disease.
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