Health Officials in Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region have stepped up surveillance and monitoring following the death of six people from pneumococcal meningitis infections.

The latest deaths from the disease happened over the weekend.

So far 21 cases of the disease have been recorded in the region since the beginning of the year.

Techiman South Municipal Health Director Damien Punguyire has however assured disease is under control.

“We have not reached an epidemic or an outbreak level. But we are recording cases that are moving towards an outbreak. We are going to communities where cases are coming from to follow up and ensure that there are no cases that are left and we are also asking people to report early when they discover any signs or symptoms of the ailment,” Dr Punguyire told Joy News.

The disease has also been recorded in the Northern Region.

Meningitis is caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges.

The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Meningitis may develop in response to a number of causes, usually bacteria or viruses, but meningitis can also be caused by physical injury, cancer or certain drugs.

The severity of illness and the treatment for meningitis differ depending on the cause.

Dr Punguyire says medical supplies have been dispatched to the Brong Ahafo Region to ensure health workers make progress at controlling the disease.

Health workers currently attending to patients are calling for more protective equipment to prevent infection of health officials.

Bacterial meningitis is contagious. The bacteria are spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions.

If you have close contact with a person who has viral meningitis, you may become infected with the virus that made that person sick. However, you are not likely to develop meningitis as a complication of the illness.