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From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) has confirmed a fresh outbreak of diphtheria at First Lady’s College, Mariri, in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
The Director-General of the centre, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, said the agency received the report on Wednesday and immediately deployed a Rapid Response Team to the school to investigate and contain the spread.
He disclosed that 313 suspected cases were tested, out of which 12 were clinically confirmed after active case searches in the school.
One of the affected students who developed severe symptoms has been admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), Kano, while the other confirmed cases are receiving treatment within the school premises.
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The school has more than 2,000 boarding students, raising fears of a wider spread if the outbreak is not quickly contained.
Prof. Abbas lamented an acute shortage of vaccines, noting that the school urgently needs a mass vaccination campaign to protect the students.
The latest outbreak comes weeks after diphtheria reportedly killed about 50 people in Rano Local Government Area in October, with several others hospitalised.
He urged parents, schools and residents to report symptoms early, ensure that children are vaccinated and cooperate with response teams to curb further spread.
