Shillong, Feb 24: Two persons have died of suspected cases of meningococcal bacterial infection, which was reported at the Assam Regimental Centre (ARC) in Shillong.
According to the Defence Public Relations Officer, authorities have administered prophylactic doses of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin to all contacts as a precaution.
The army authorities said that masking and restricted movement protocols are in place, with officials closely monitoring the situation.
“There is no cause for alarm or panic,” the Defence PRO Shillong stated.
Meningococcal disease includes meningitis, meningococcal septicemia or a combination of both and can progress rapidly. If left untreated, the disease has a high mortality rate.
Meanwhile, a separate post doing the rounds on social media and WhatsApp claims that Nipah virus has also been detected at the ARC and Gorkha Training Centre (GTC). However, the validity of this message was denied by the Defence PRO, who described it as fake and a case of rumour mongering.
