The Zamfara State Ministry of Health says it has recorded 367 confirmed cases of diphtheria, with over 320 patients successfully treated and discharged.
The Director of Public Health in the Ministry, Dr Yusuf Haske, disclosed this to newsmen in Gusau while providing an update on the diphtheria situation in the state.
Dr Haske explained that laboratory tests conducted on samples collected from suspected patients confirmed the presence of the diphtheria-causing organism.
He said additional samples were sent to the National Reference Centre in Abuja, where the diagnosis was further confirmed.
According to him, following the confirmation, the State Ministry of Health, on the directive of Governor Dauda Lawal, declared the outbreak and activated the Incident Management System to coordinate the response.
He said the response included the activation of state and local government rapid response teams, as well as case-management activities across the state’s 14 local government areas.
Dr Haske said all general hospitals in the state have isolation centres for the treatment of diphtheria patients, while Gusau Local Government Area, which recorded the highest number of cases, has about four treatment centres.
He disclosed that over 320 patients had been treated and discharged, with oral medication provided for continued treatment at home.
The Director, however, said the state had recorded 44 deaths, attributing the continued spread partly to active community transmission.
He noted that children between the ages of six and ten years were among the most affected, prompting the Ministry of Health to advise the Ministry of Education on measures to reduce the spread.
Dr Haske said the advice contributed to the decision to extend the resumption of schools in the state by two weeks with a view to allowing health authorities to intensify case management, surveillance, community engagement, health education and other preventive measures.
Dr Haske urged residents to remain vigilant and seek immediate medical attention whenever they notice signs and symptoms associated with diphtheria.
He said disease notification officers across the 14 local government areas were also working to identify suspected cases and ensure timely response.
Dr Yusuf Haske also called on residents to cooperate with health officials and make use of the contact channels provided across the state to report suspected cases and access assistance.
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