Diphtheria Outbreak: NCDC records one death

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed one death due to diphtheria.

This came about when the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) issued a warning regarding an epidemic of diphtheria in some areas of Abuja, which had already resulted in one fatality.

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that can cause severe breathing difficulties, irregular heartbeats, and even death.

According to Dr. Sadiq Abdulrahman, director of the FCT public health department, the outbreak has already been confirmed by samples gathered from suspected cases in a community adjacent to Dei-Dei.

He claimed that a family of four had been located in the area, and some tests had yielded good results. He added that one member of the family, a young child of around four years old, had passed away from the illness.

Residents were advised by Abdulrahman to practise good personal cleanliness and to report any unusual symptoms, particularly those that might affect their respiratory health.

“Two weeks ago, we got information from a community within the FCT of about eight suspected cases which triggered our team to pick some samples which were taken to the National Reference Laboratory Gaduwa and the NCDC. As of Friday afternoon, the results came out. Out of the eight suspected cases, one came out positive,” he said.

He said that the disease had been established in about three states across the country, earlier this year, “as we are all aware, precisely in January this year, a national alert was sent out on the outbreak of Diphtheria in about three states, Lagos, Kano and Ondo.

“That triggered a national response and the NCDC which is the flagship of disease outbreak and response in the country, sent out a letter to all the states of the FCT.”

According to Dr. Yahaya Vatsa, executive secretary of FCT Primary Health Care, those who are unvaccinated and who live in densely populated or unhygienic regions are more at risk.

“The symptoms of the disease include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, red eyes, neck swelling, and difficulty breathing. Diphtheria spreads easily between people through direct contact with infected people, droplets from coughing or sneezing, and contact with contaminated clothing and objects, thereby underscoring the importance of hygiene and environmental sanitation in prevention.

“To reduce the risk of contracting the disease, FCT residents are hereby advised to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated with three doses of the pentavalent vaccine as recommended in the National childhood immunisation schedule.

Source