NCDC reports 137 fatalities, 1,534 cases of diphtheria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 1,534 diphtheria cases in the country.

The NCDC recorded a total of 4,160 suspected cases from 27 states and 139 Local Government Areas across the country.

This was stated by the NCDC in its diphtheria situation report from May 2022 to July 2023, which was published on its website.

Kano (1,207), Yobe (252), Bauchi (41), Katsina (nine), Lagos (eight), FCT (six), and Kaduna (five) have confirmed instances.

Niger has two, Gombe has two, Osun has one, Jigawa has one, and Cross River has one.

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

“Of the 4,160 suspected cases recorded, 1,534 (36.9%) were confirmed (87 lab-confirmed; 158 epid linked; 1,289 clinically compatible), 1,700 (40.9%) were rejected, 639 (15.4%) are pending classification, and 287 (6.9%) are unknown,” according to the report.

“The confirmed cases were spread throughout 56 local government areas (LGAs) in ten states.” The majority of confirmed cases [1,018 (66.4%)] occurred in youngsters aged one to fourteen years.

“Among all confirmed cases, 137 people died (CFR: 8.9%).” 1 257 (81.9%) of the 1,534 confirmed cases were not adequately immunized against diphtheria.”

Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by a toxin produced by the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It is covered by one of the vaccines usually administered through Nigeria’s pediatric immunization program.