216 cases of diphtheria have been confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the states of Kano, Yobe, Lagos, and Osun.
At the same time, there have been 40 fatalities in the nation.
The NCDC also said that there are currently 523 suspected cases in the nation, with the states affected being Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Lagos, and Osun.
The Lead of the Diphtheria/Pertussis Technical Working Group in the NCDC, Dr Bola Lawal revealed this at a webinar titled ‘Diphtheria Outbreak in Nigeria: A Case of Re-Emergence or Improved Surveillance,’ on Monday.
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.
Dr. Lawal stated that the rapid response team was sent to the states on December 12, 2022, when the outbreak was confirmed there. The NCDC had been alerted to suspected diphtheria outbreaks in Kano and Lagos states.
He stated that the organization is now assisting the response efforts in the states of Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Osun, and Yobe.
Giving a breakdown of the epidemiological situation, he 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.”
He stated that 38 deaths in Kano State and 40 in Lagos State were reported (two).
Regarding the level of vaccination, he added that of the 216 confirmed cases, 27 had received all three types of vaccinations, 84 had not, and 20 had received only some of them.
According to the expert, diphtheria is a serious problem in the nation despite subpar pentavalent immunization coverage, and its prevalence is underreported as a result of lax surveillance and insufficient laboratory confirmation capabilities.
“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.”
In his remarks, the Director General of the NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa said the fight against disease outbreaks in the country is a joint effort involving everyone.
“Surveillance is everybody’s responsibility, it is not just enough to see. If you see something suspicious, report it to your local government, report to NCDC and then they can investigate.
“The idea is that it allows us to pick up soon after it occurs and provide more time to respond so that we can save lives and reduce suffering and protect our health workers from both known and unknown dangerous pathogens,” Adetifa said.
