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The death toll in the outbreak of diphtheria ravaging parts of communities in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State has risen to 23, with 143 suspected cases.
Initial reports had put the death toll at 15, with 117 suspected cases.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Ba’amlong, told newsmen in Jos on Tuesday that currently, seven persons are on admission at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and two at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital.
According to him, the outbreak is concentrated in a specific community called Rikkos, which is a Muslim-dominated area.
He said, “Authorities are actively working to prevent further spread and escalation. This includes conducting advocacy and outreach efforts with the local paramount chief in Rikkos to manage the situation.
“The situation is critical, with a high mortality rate (approximately 16% of suspected cases have resulted in death). The response is currently focused on clinical management of the hospitalised patients and community-level intervention.
“We are engaging local leadership (the paramount chief) in the affected Muslim-dominated community of Rikkos, officials are attempting to gain the necessary cooperation to curb the spread of the outbreak.”
Earlier, the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) for Jos North, Mr Baks Bulus, had said in an interactive session with newsmen in Jos that the deaths were recorded within three days of the outbreak.
He said that more cases could emerge if urgent preventive measures were not taken.
Bulus had said, “So far, according to the data we have gathered from the communities, 117 people are suspected to have contracted the disease. Out of this number, we have already recorded 15 deaths, based on the records available to us as of now.”
The surveillance officer, who explained the mode of transmission, said diphtheria is a bacterial infection that can spread rapidly from person to person, particularly among close contacts.
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According to him, people sharing personal items such as utensils and towels with infected persons are at risk of contracting the disease.
“Diphtheria can be transmitted from person to person. It keeps spreading when people come in close contact with an infected patient, and it can be disastrous.
“For children who have been vaccinated, the effects may be milder and may not lead to death. But for a child who has not been fully vaccinated or has not completed the required doses, it can be deadly,” he said.
The DSNO added that diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease, noting that children who receive the recommended doses of the vaccine are adequately protected.
He urged residents, particularly those in affected communities, to maintain good personal hygiene and promptly report suspected symptoms at government health facilities.
“People should maintain good personal hygiene and avoid overcrowded places. We advise residents to visit the nearest health facility because early detection is key to saving lives.
“Most times, people resort to chemists and self-medication, which we do not advise. The best approach is to visit primary healthcare centres where we have the necessary structures and personnel in place,” Bulus added.
He said health personnel from the local government had been deployed to affected communities to intensify surveillance and sensitise residents on measures to prevent further spread of the disease.
The State Epidemiologist, Dr Maren Job, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent in a telephone chat, said that he was yet to get the updated figure from the DSNO.
According to him, the DSNO and the local government health officer visited the communities and were still collating the figures.
Job said that he was yet to inform the Health Ministry of the development, stressing that it was after he had obtained the full situation report that he would report to the Commissioner for Health.
