NCDC confirms 1,534 cases of diphtheria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says 1,534 cases of diphtheria have been confirmed in the country.

It added that 4,160 suspected cases have been reported in 139 local government areas in 27 states.

In its diphtheria situation report from May 2022 to July 2023, released on its website, the NCDC stated that the confirmed cases were distributed across 56 LGAs in Kano (1,207), Yobe (252); Bauchi (41); Katsina (nine); Lagos (eight); FCT (six); Kaduna (five), that Niger (two); Gombe (two); Osun (one); Jigawa (one); and Cross River (one).

According to the report, Kano (3,233), Yobe (477), Katsina (132), Kaduna (101), Bauchi (54), FCT (41) and Lagos (30) account for 97.8 per cent of the suspected cases.

The report said that of the 4,160 suspected cases reported, 1,534 (36.9 per cent) were confirmed (87 lab-confirmed; 158 epid linked; 1,289 clinically compatible), 1,700 (40.9 per cent) were discarded, 639 (15.4 per cent) were pending classification and 287 (6.9 per cent) unknown.

It said, “The confirmed cases were distributed across 56 LGAs in 10 states. The majority [1,018 (66.4 per cent)] of the confirmed cases occurred in children aged one to 14 years.”

It also reported that 137 deaths were recorded among all confirmed cases (CFR: 8.9 per cent), stressing that out of the 1,534 confirmed cases reported, 1,257 (81.9 per cent) were not fully vaccinated against diphtheria.

Diphtheria, caused by a toxin produced by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, is a vaccine-preventable disease covered by one of the vaccines provided routinely through Nigeria’s childhood immunisation schedule.