Diphtheria infections spread to 31 local government in Kano

Not less than 100 people have confirmed infected with diphtheria and they are presently receiving treatment at the two new isolation centres in Kano.

An eyewitness account that the disease has now spread to 31 local councils of the state.

This was even as the state battles large-scale zero doses of immunization according to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

Diphtheria is an infection caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae that make toxins. It can lead to difficulty breathing, heart rhythm problems, and even death.

Giving an update on the outbreak to the press, the State Epidemiologist, Dr Abdullahi Kaura-Matta, disclosed that over 2,000 cases had been managed and discharged since the disease surfaced in December 2022.

He stated that the disease was spreading in the state, saying the government has established two centres for the effective management of positive cases and to contain the further spread of the contiguous infection.

Kaura-Matta also explained that a contact tracing team has also been put in place to search for persons who might have had contact with confirmed cases.

Although the UNICEF recently raised concern on the alarming rate of zero dose immunisation in Kano with about 300,000 children without access to vaccination, Kaura-Matta stressed that the government was renewing DPT (diphtheria toxin-containing vaccine) and other infectious immunisation campaigns to manage the outbreak.