Weather Variables and Climatic Influence on the Epidemiology of Cerebrospinal or Meningococcal Meningitis. Asian J. Med. Pharm. Res., 3(1): 01-10

Meningococcal infection has been recognized as a serious problem for almost 200 years. Cerebrospinal or Meningococcal meningitis (MCM) can occur as a sporadic case, institution based focal outbreak, or a large epidemic year. The distribution of serogroups causing meningococcal disease (A, B, C, Y, W-135) varies over time and by geographic location and spatial distribution of the disease indicate close linkage of it and weather climatologies. The highest burden is in sub-Saharan Africa, where it occurs in a cyclic mode. The paper while drawing facts on the disease history, African Meningitis Belt, causative agents, disease statistics, risk factors, and overall etiology, compares the information on cases and deaths of MCM from various literature reports, noted the linkage between regional climate variability/ seasonal variation and MCM. Efficient management of the risks of cerebrospinal meningitis requires a multi-sectoral approach, which brings information about how climate interact with the various elements of society, environment and economy. Strong partnerships and high-quality data are needed from all sectors involved. Climate services, that include climate advisories, predictions, warnings and alerts, could also help societies take advantage of the opportunities associated with climate events.