The death toll from a meningitis epidemic in Burkina Faso rose to 324 on Friday and the United Nations says outbreaks and deaths have also been recorded in seven other West African countries this year. Burkina Faso is by far the hardest hit country in the region, with almost 1,000 additional people infected in the last week bringing the total number of recorded cases to 3,625, according the government health authorities. Full Story