Diphtheria outbreak: Death toll hits 13 in Kaduna

Deaths from the outbreak of diphtheria disease in Kaduna have reportedly risen to 13 according to the latest official figures.

A breakdown shows 10 people have reportedly died from the disease in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, while three children died in Makarfi Local Government Area, while seven others were hospitalised.

Confirming the outbreak in Markafi LGA, Local Council Health Secretary, Malam Aliyu Alhassan, said the suspected cases occurred at Tashar Na Kawu community in Gubuchi Ward of the area.

He said, “Affected victims were children and the specimen of the victims was forwarded to Abuja for analysis. Those suspected with the disease have been taken to hospital and isolated for medical observation and contact tracing is going on to prevent further spread of the disease.”

Already, Kaduna State government alerted citizens on the outbreak and directed the Ministry of Health to send an emergency team to investigate cases and take immediate action reports.

Meanwhile, the Chief Epidemiologist, of Kaduna State Ministry of Health, Dr Jeremiah Daikwo, has lamented that some communities in the state were rejecting vaccine against anthrax that broke out in some states, a bacterial disease that affects domestic and wild animals and can infect human beings especially children who may have had contact with infected animals.

He said in an interview that their findings revealed that 17 people were infected and “we are still doing contact search to identify more people who may have been infected.”