The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KSCDC) has confirmed 12 diphtheria cases at First Lady College, Mariri, a boarding school in Kano.
KSCDC Director-General Prof. Muhammad Abbas disclosed this to journalists on Friday in Kano.
He said the agency received a report on Wednesday and immediately deployed a team to investigate and contain the spread of the disease.
“We tested 313 suspected cases, of which 12 were clinically confirmed. We conducted active case searches at the school and confirmed the cases.
“We administered medication to all suspected contacts and sensitised other students about the disease,” Abbas said.
He expressed concern about the inadequate vaccine supply, noting that the school needed a mass vaccination campaign to protect its more than 2,000 students.
“There is a need for mass vaccination at the school, which we currently do not have enough vaccines for. We have to request more vaccines to administer to the students,” he said.
Meanwhile, the school’s principal, Hajiya Atine Muhammad, said three students who had returned from home showed symptoms suspected to be associated with the disease. They were immediately referred for medical examination.
She said the school nurse initially examined the students before referring them to a hospital for further assessment and confirmation.
According to Muhammad, the students were then sent back to their parents with instructions to take them to the Infectious Diseases Hospital for proper medical attention.
She said parents were also directed to obtain medical reports from certified doctors confirming that their children were healthy before they could return to school.
