At least five people have died of meningitis in northeastern Uganda after an outbreak among the restive pastoralist communities of Karamoja region, health officials said on Thursday.

Paul Kaggwa, the health ministry spokesman, said a minister and health workers had flown to Kotido District, about 600 kilometres northeast of the capital, Kampala.

"The minister and officials from the ministry have gone to the areas to help in combating the outbreak," Kaggwa said. Officials in Kampala suggested that the strain found in the victims was of a new meningitis subtypes X, Y and Z that are believed to be resistant to the drugs available in the area.

Kaggwa said three treatment centres have been set up in the areas where there have been outbreaks of meningitis while samples have been flown out for further analysis. "Some specimens have been sent to Holland for identification," he added.

Meningitis is a fatal disease caused by bacteria that infects the brain and spinal cord. However, if diagnosed early and treated, many patients recover fully. Early symptoms include fever, followed by a rash and vomiting. Patients suffer stiffness before unconsciousness and death. The bacteria are transmitted through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions.

Karamoja region is within an area of sub-Saharan Africa referred to as the meningitis belt. Extending from Senegal, the area includes all or part of at least 15 countries, with an estimated total population of 300 million, according to the World Health Organization.

Epidemics occur in seasonal cycles between end-November and end-June, depending on the location and climate of the country, and decline rapidly with the rainy season. There are fears that it could spread rapidly in Karamoja due to the current hot season.