Diphtheria kills 453 persons in 18 States – FG
The Federal Government has released a report stating that there are 11,587 suspected cases of diphtheria in the country.
According to the report, there are 7,202 confirmed cases from 105 local government areas (LGAs) in 18 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) revealed the figures on Monday, September 25 in an update.
The figures are (6,185) of the confirmed cases were recorded in Kano. Other States with cases are Yobe (640), Katsina (213), Borno (95), Kaduna (16), Jigawa (14), Bauchi (8), Lagos (8), FCT (5), Gombe (5), Osun (3), Sokoto (3), Niger (2), Cross River (1), Enugu (1), Imo (1), Nasarawa (1) and Zamfara (1).
The majority of confirmed cases 5,299 (73.6 percent) occurred among children aged one to 14 years, with those aged five to 14 suffering the brunt of the disease.
So far, 453 people have died in confirmed cases, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 6.3%.” it added
It also stated in response to an escalating outbreak involving 80 percent unvaccinated cases, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, established a national emergency task team.
