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  • Life - Health & Wellness
  • Updated: January 19, 2023

Diphtheria Outbreak Kills 25 In Kano

Diphtheria Outbreak Kills 25 In Kano

Diphtheria bacteria

Health Officials in Kano have confirmed the outbreak of diphtheria, revealing that it killed about 25 persons as of last Friday.

The child-killer disease which was first noticed in Kano late last year is being treated as an outbreak presently at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, in Kano.

Medical experts said diphtheria infection is a serious infection of the nose and throat that is easily preventable by vaccine.

This contagious disease was first noticed in the Ungogo local government area of Kano.

According to records of the Kano State Ministry of Health, on the outbreak, 58 suspected cases of the disease were documented, six were on admission while 25 patients died of diphtheria infection as of January 13, 2023.

A very reliable source informed this newspaper that with the enormity of the outbreak, the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC last week, immediately deployed personnel to Kano to set up an incident command structure to conduct an outbreak investigation for diphtheria, offer technical support and reactivate operation centre for treatment.

‘’As we speak now, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) popularly known as Doctors without borders, has established a case management centre at Murtala Muhammed Hospital and has been providing essential drugs.

A medical consultant who wants to remain anonymous attributed the outbreak of the disease to the failure of routine immunization in Kano.

The expert said there is low coverage of immunization exercises in Kano, which is a major means of preventing the outbreak of the disease, coupled with low awareness of the populace.

‘’You see if the management of this disease has been conducted by making the residents aware of the situation, it would have drastically reduced the spread in the community among children,’’ the medical expert said.

‘’Presently there is a case of Lassa Fever, from Dala LGA just last week.

"The state is not doing enough to sensitize the people so that the spread of the disease can be curtailed.’’

Confirming the development on Thursday, Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa said the state emergency preparedness committee is even meeting this morning to evaluate the casualty figures, and review the data and measures to address the situation.

Tsanyawa said presently, the state rapid response team has been reactivated and an index action plan to check the spread of diphtheria is in place.

‘’Right now we have presented a budget for this to the government and it has been approved,’’ the commissioner said.

He said the low routine immunization attributed to the spread of the disease is due to the hard-to-be-reached areas in the state.

He noted that, however, the state is strengthening its routine immunization.

Tsanyawa said apart from the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital designated as an isolation centre, other isolation centres would be created to check the spread.

‘’Although we used Yargaya for COVID-19 isolation, we have set the place aside for the isolation of diphtheria infection also.’’

‘’We also have 3 cases of Lassa Fever in the state now with the index case from Taraba.

‘’The people should not panic but if they notice any unusual fever, should immediately visit the hospital.

‘’We are already embarking on sensitization to educate the populace on the disease,’’ 

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