Diphtheria Claims 61 In Kano

Diphtheria has claimed about 61 lives in Kano State.
Salman Suwaid of the State Primary Health Agency, who gave the figures at a seminar organised by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), with the theme ‘Diphtheria Outbreak in Nigeria: Vaccination Response’, said a total of 783 (360 male and 423 female) patients have been admitted so far in the State.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by the corny bacterium species that affect the nose, throat, and sometimes, skin of an individual.
Some symptoms of diphtheria include fever, running nose, sore throat, cough, red eyes, neck swelling, and difficulty in breathing.
Suwaid said diphtheria patients stay up to four days on the average in the hospital, adding that 83 per cent of deaths occurred in patients with the onset of symptoms greater than three days and an average of 15 admission days.
“68 percent of patients have been discharged, 1.66 percent absconded, and 12.2 percent died,” she explained.