Agartala, March 05: At least 19 people died in Tripura due to meningococcal disease in the last one year, state Health Minister Tapan Chakraborty today said.
He told the assembly that the state government had sought 1.83 lakh units of vaccines from the Centre but was yet to receive any response.
Meningococcal disease is caused by bacterium Neisseria meningitidis (also termed meningococcus). It carries a high mortality rate if untreated. Whilst best known as a cause of meningitis, wide spread blood infection (sepsis) is more damaging and dangerous.
Chakraborty said the health officials collected samples of blood from 289 HIV patients, of which 127 were confirmed with AIDS last year.
The State government had set up centres of Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) at the Agartala Government Medical College and G B Hospital here with the help of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO).
–Agencies