Diphtheria spreads to Lagos, NCDC monitors Osun, Yobe

Ibrahim Umar

Kanempress

23, January,2023

With a resurgence of diphtheria disease in some parts of Nigeria, experts have raised concerns about the vaccination coverage and the waning immunity in adolescents and adults in the country. The experts, who spoke with our correspondent on Sunday, said there is a need for increased awareness among the populace to curtail the spread of the disease as the country is battling multiple disease outbreaks. The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, has confirmed that diphtheria has killed at least 34 persons in the country. The NCDC had, in an advisory, said it had responded to reports of diphtheria cases in Lagos and Kano States and was monitoring the situation in Osun and Yobe States where cases were being picked up. Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection caused by the bacterium called Corynebacterium species that affects the nose, throat, and sometimes, skin of an individual.