Diphtheria Hits 4 States In Nigeria

According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, there are now 216 cases of diphtheria in the country (NCDC).

So far, several cases have been confirmed in the states of Kano, Yobe, Lagos, and Osun. Additionally, it was learned that there had been 40 fatalities in the country.

The NCDC also said that there are currently 523 suspected cases in the nation, spread over five states: Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Lagos, and Osun.

Dr Bola Lawal, the NCDC’s technical working group leader for diphtheria and pertussis, who confirmed the development, said the rapid response team was sent to the two states on December 12, 2022, after the disease was confirmed. The rapid response team was notified of suspected diphtheria outbreaks in Kano and Lagos states.

Giving a breakdown of the epidemiological situation, Lawal said: “Kano state has recorded 396 suspected cases with 211 confirmed cases, Yobe state has recorded 78 suspected cases with two confirmed cases; Katsina has 34 suspected cases but no confirmed case yet; Lagos state has recorded 14 suspected cases and two confirmed cases; Osun state has one confirmed case so far.

“We have also recorded 40 deaths with a case fatality rate of 18.5 per cent.

“Of the 216 confirmed cases, 184 (85.2 per cent) were aged two to 14 years from both sexes.”

Kano reported 38 fatalities, while Lagos state reported two. Regarding the level of vaccination, Lawal stated that of the 216 confirmed cases, 27 were fully vaccinated, 84 were unvaccinated and 20 were partly vaccinated.

He added: “For effective control of diphtheria, there must be a high index of suspicion among health care workers, strong laboratory capacity, timely access to diphtheria antitoxin and vaccination against diphtheria.”

Diphtheria is a severe bacterial infection that affects a person’s nose, throat, and occasionally their skin. It is brought on by the bacterium Corynebacterium species. Direct contact with infected person droplets from coughing or sneezing, as well as contact with contaminated objects and clothing, are the main ways that diphtheria spreads between individuals.