By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Kaduna State government on Thursday confirmed the outbreak of Diphtheria disease in some communities in Jema’a local government area of the state.
The state governor, Uba Sani in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary Muhammad Lawal Shehu, said that ‘several reports of residents coming down with the disease were confirmed in the areas.
“The Kaduna State Ministry of Health on Thursday 20th July 2023 confirmed cases of the Diphtheria disease in some communities in Kafancha, Jema’a local government area. These confirmations come after several reports were made about residents in Takau Ward, Kafancha A, and Kafancha B ward exhibiting symptoms listed as difficulty in breathing, high fever, cough, general body weakness, sore throat, and neck swelling.
“Upon learning about the unfortunate loss of lives in the affected communities, the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani immediately directed the Kaduna State Ministry of Health to send an emergency team to investigate these cases. A preliminary report from the ministry revealed that the outbreak of Diphtheria in Kafancha had its first recorded case in the beginning of July 2023,” the statement said.
The governor said that officials of the state’s Ministry of Health have commenced an active search and contact tracing of possible persons exposed to the disease in the area.
He added that the state government has also commenced sensitization across the area and other neighboring places.
This online platform reports that the Nigeria Center For Disease Control (NCDC) describes Diphtheria as a serious bacterial infection that spreads easily between people by direct contact or through the air through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing.
According to the NCDC, “Diphtheria is one of the priority diseases in Nigeria requiring immediate reporting,”
