Diphtheria outbreak hits Kano school with 12 confirmed cases

Health authorities in Kano State have reported twelve cases of diphtheria at First Lady’s College, Mariri, located in Kumbotso Local Government Area. The outbreak occurred at the boarding school, which enrolls over two thousand students. Following the detection of the outbreak, the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) initiated an emergency response.

A school staff member revealed that health officials were alerted to the situation on Thursday after receiving a report about the outbreak. One affected student with severe symptoms was taken to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kano, while the remaining students are receiving treatment on-site. The staff member added that the response team comprised officials from Kumbotso, Tarauni, and Nassarawa local government areas, supported by Rapid Response Team (RRT).

Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, the Director-General of KNCDC, confirmed the outbreak and explained that the agency received the report on Wednesday, immediately sending a team to investigate and prevent further transmission. The team tested 313 suspected cases, confirming twelve clinical cases. KNCDC conducted an extensive search for active cases within the school, leading to the confirmation of these twelve cases. The agency administered medication to all suspected contacts and educated other students about the disease.

However, Dr. Abbas expressed concern over the shortage of vaccines needed to protect the school’s large student population. He emphasized the urgent need for a mass vaccination exercise to prevent further infections among the over two thousand students. The KNCDC chief stressed the necessity for additional vaccines to administer to the students at the institution.