Twenty-three people have died from suspected diphtheria in Plateau State within the past two weeks, with 143 suspected cases recorded as health authorities step up efforts to contain the outbreak.
The state Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed the figures in a telephone interview with Channels Television, saying nine patients were currently receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos.
“So far we have 143 suspected cases, we have had 23 deaths and nine currently on admission at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, and the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos,” Baamlong said.
He said the affected patients were being treated in isolation as the state government intensified public awareness campaigns to limit further transmission.
According to the commissioner, the government was working with traditional rulers and other community stakeholders to educate residents about the disease and preventive measures.
“The biggest challenge is getting antitoxin, and most of them are presenting late,” he said.
Baamlong said diphtheria could be transmitted through contact with an infected person, coughing, sneezing and close association.
He also disclosed that the state was experiencing difficulties confirming suspected cases because it lacked the specialised containers needed to collect and transport samples to laboratories.
“We are having challenges with the diagnosis because the sample is supposed to be collected in a special container so that we can send it for confirmation, but we do not have such containers,” he said.
The commissioner said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) had been informed of the situation and that the state was expecting assistance with the shortage of antitoxin and sample-collection containers.
“The NCDC is aware, and we are hoping that they will assist us with the antitoxin and the special containers,” he said.
Baamlong said the government had also expanded community-level sensitisation efforts, using traditional institutions and other stakeholders to raise awareness about the disease and ways of preventing its spread.
“We have so far activated awareness campaigns in communities through traditional rulers and other stakeholders to curtail the spread,” he said.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can spread through respiratory droplets and close contact. Health authorities have urged residents to seek medical attention promptly when symptoms develop and to follow recommended preventive measures to reduce the risk of transmission and severe illness.
