Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Bacterial Meningitis Outbreak in Ghana

The U.S. Embassy in Accra informs U.S. citizens of the bacterial meningitis outbreak in several districts in Ghana. Two types of meningitis have been detected in Ghana this year – the endemic meningococcal meningitis strain and pneumococcal meningitis – both with reported deaths.

Both of these types of meningitis also occur in the United States, and although they are contagious, transmission of these infections is usually only with close personal contact. For more information regarding meningitis, please visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

For further information:

  • See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information forGhana.
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • Contact the U.S. Embassy in Accra, located at No. 24, Fourth Circular Rd., Cantonments, Accra; mailing address: P.O. Box 194 Cantonments, Accra, Ghana, and is open Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  • You may also call +232 0991 05500 during normal business hours, +232 76 912 708 during after-hours.
  • Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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Note: The timestamp on this e-mail message may reflect Washington, D.C., time, which may differ from local time.