ULAN BATOR, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- One confirmed case of meningococcal meningitis has been reported in Uvs province in western Mongolia, local health authorities said Monday.
The infected was a five-year-old boy in Malchin soum, an administrative subdivision of the province. He was in a local hospital in critical condition, and 36 other people who were close to him were in isolation.
The soum has been partially quarantined indefinitely due to the outbreak, said authorities.
The country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) has urged parents to be vigilant for the symptoms of meningitis in their children at an early stage and seek emergency medical care immediately.
Common meningitis symptoms include headache, fever, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, light and sound sensitivity, rash, and neurological symptoms.
Meningococcal infections are caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium that affects the membranes of the human brain and spinal cord.
According to the NCCD, Mongolia reported two fatal cases of meningococcal meningitis in 2025. ■