Diphtheria Cases Rise to 216 with 40 Deaths Recorded – NCDC
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 216 cases of diphtheria in the country, with 40 deaths in the fifth week of this year.
Confirming this in its latest epidemiological report, the NCDC said that the cases were reported in four states: Kano (211), Yobe (two), Lagos (two), and Osun (two).
The majority of the deaths were recorded in Kano State (38), while Lagos State recorded two deaths, according to the agency.
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Speaking during a webinar on Monday, with the theme: Diphtheria Outbreak in Nigeria: A Case of Re-Emergence or Improved Surveillance, the Lead of the Diphtheria/Pertussis Technical Working Group at the NCDC, Dr Bola Lawal, said the agency was supporting the response activities in Kano, Lagos, Yobe, Osun, Yobe, and Katsina states.
Lawal also said out of the 216 confirmed cases of diphtheria, 27 were fully vaccinated, 84 were unvaccinated, and 20 were partly vaccinated.
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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 has recorded 14 suspected cases and two confirmed cases; Osun 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.”
The NCDC, while noting there was low immunisation for the pentavalent vaccine, poor surveillance and limited laboratory capacity to properly diagnose the disease, added that it was supporting intensified activities to conduct routine immunisation among children under two years, particularly in Kano State.
Further, the agency said there has been harmonisation of surveillance and laboratory data from across states and laboratories with the sensitisation/training of clinical and surveillance officers on the presentation, prevention, and surveillance for diphtheria in states where rapid response teams were deployed.
Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, NCDC’s Director General, said, “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.”
