Ncdc Reports 216 Cases Of Diphtheria In Nigeria.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, reports that 40 fatalities and 216 cases of diphtheria have been reported in Nigeria.
Dr. Bola Lawal, Head of the NCDC’s Technical Working Group for Diphtheria/Pertussis, verified that the four states with confirmed cases were Kano (211), Yobe (two), Lagos (two), and Osun (two).
The bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae is said to be the cause of diphtheria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Mild to severe signs and symptoms might appear two to five days following exposure. Many times, symptoms develop gradually and start with a fever and sore throat.
According to Lawal, 38 fatalities were reported in Kano State, while two were reported in Lagos State.
According to him, the agency was assisting with the response efforts in the states of Kano, Lagos, Yobe, Osun, Yobe, and Katsina.
He said that of the 216 confirmed cases, 27 had had a complete course of vaccination, 84 had not, and 20 had received just a partial course.
Kano State had 396 suspected cases with 211 confirmed instances, Yobe State recorded 78 suspected cases with two confirmed cases, and Katsina recorded 34 suspected cases with no confirmed cases as of yet, according to Lawal. 14 suspected cases and two confirmed cases have been reported in Lagos; so yet, Osun has only had one confirmed case.
“We also have 40 fatalities with a case fatality rate of 18.5%. 184 (85.2%) of the 216 confirmed cases—representing both sexes—were between the ages of two and 14 years.
He noted that the agency was supporting increased activities to carry out routine immunization among children under two years old, particularly in Kano State, but noted that there was low immunization for the pentavalent vaccine, poor surveillance, and limited laboratory capacity to properly diagnose the disease.
He said that in states where quick reaction teams were deployed, there has been a harmonization of surveillance and laboratory data from various states and labs, as well as training of clinical and surveillance officers on the presentation, prevention, and surveillance for diphtheria.
In the meanwhile, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, Director-General of NCDC, emphasized: “Surveillance is everyone’s obligation; it is not enough to merely look. Report any unusual activity to your local government and the NCDC so that they can look into it.
According to NAN, those over 60 and children under five are most at risk for contracting it.
