Health authorities in Kano State have confirmed 12 cases of diphtheria at First Lady’s College, Mariri, in Kumbotso Local Government Area, following an outbreak at the boarding school.
The development has prompted the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) to deploy an emergency response team to contain the spread of the disease among the institution’s more than 2,000 students.
The outbreak was detected at the school, with health officials commencing an investigation and response on Wednesday after receiving a report about suspected infections.
A school staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday, disclosed that one student who developed severe symptoms had been transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), Kano, while other affected students were receiving treatment within the school.
The source said the emergency response team was supported by health officials from Kumbotso, Tarauni and Nassarawa Local Government Areas.
The Director-General of KNCDC, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, confirmed the outbreak, explaining that the agency immediately dispatched a team to investigate the situation and prevent further transmission after receiving the report.
He said 313 suspected cases were tested, out of which 12 were clinically confirmed following active case searches conducted within the school.
Abbas added that medication had been administered to suspected contacts, while other students were sensitised on the disease and preventive measures.
He, however, expressed concern over the shortage of vaccines required to protect the school’s large student population against further infections.
According to him, the institution urgently needs a mass vaccination exercise, but the agency currently lacks sufficient vaccine supplies to cover the students.
“There is a need for massive vaccination in the school, which we presently do not have. We have to ask for more vaccines to administer to the students,” he said.
The KNCDC chief said the agency was seeking additional vaccine supplies to support the immunisation exercise and strengthen efforts to contain the outbreak.
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