The Federal Government, through the National Centre for Disease Control, has launched an investigation into an outbreak of diphtheria infection in Kano State which has reportedly killed 25 in the State.
According to The PUNCH, it was gathered that the child killer disease, first recorded in the state in late 2022 is being treated as an outbreak at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano.
Diphtheria infection, according to medical professionals, is a dangerous infection of the nose and throat that is readily avoided with immunizations.
Diphtheria symptoms include sore throat, hoarseness, swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes) in the neck, difficulty breathing or rapid breathing, nasal discharge, fever, and weariness, according to specialists.
According to the state Ministry of Health, 58 probable cases of the disease were registered during the outbreak, with six patients admitted and 25 patients dying as to January 13, 2023.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Tsanyawa, while comfirming the outbreak said that the state emergency preparedness committee met on Thursday morning on the matter.
He stated that the State Rapid Response team had been reestablished and that an index action plan had been put in place to combat the spread of diphtheria.
“Right now we have presented a budget for this to the government and it has been approved,” the commissioner emphasised.
He said that the low rate of routine immunization, which hastened the spread of the disease, was attributable to the state’s difficult-to-reach areas.
He did, however, mention that the state is beefing up its routine immunization program.
Tsanyawa stated that, in addition to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital being designated as an isolation center, other isolation centers would be developed to control the spread.
Reacting to the development, a communications officer at the NCDC, Oluwadamilare Olowoshile, said that the agency is aware of the outbreak.
He said, “The NCDC is aware of it and we have commenced investigations already, we are working on an advisory on Diphtheria to sensitise the public on it and when it is ready, we will share it with the media.”
