An outbreak of diphtheria in parts of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State has killed 15 people among 117 suspected cases reported, health authorities have said.

The Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) for Jos North, Baks Bulus, disclosed this on Tuesday during an interaction with journalists in Jos.

Mr Bulus said the deaths were recorded within three days of the outbreak, warning that the number of cases could increase if urgent measures were not taken to contain the disease.

“So far, according to the data we have gathered from the communities, 117 people are suspected to have contracted the disease. Out of this number, we have already recorded 15 deaths,” he said.

Among those who died were two siblings aged between 12 and 17 years, according to the official.

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that can spread from person to person, particularly through close contact with an infected person, Mr Bulus explained.

He said sharing personal items such as utensils and towels could increase the risk of transmission.

According to him, vaccination remains one of the most effective ways of preventing severe complications and deaths from the disease.

“For children who have been vaccinated, the effects may be milder and may not lead to death. But for a child who has not been fully vaccinated or has not completed the required doses, it can be deadly,” he said.

Mr Bulus urged residents of the affected communities to maintain good hygiene, avoid overcrowded places, and seek medical attention promptly if they develop symptoms suspected of being associated with diphtheria.

He also cautioned residents against self-medication or relying solely on patent medicine vendors.

READ ALSO: FG deploys task force to respond to diphtheria outbreaks in Kano, Katsina

“Most times, people resort to chemists and self-medication, which we do not advise. The best approach is to visit primary healthcare centres where we have the necessary structures and personnel in place,” he said.

The DSNO said health workers had been deployed to affected communities to intensify disease surveillance, sensitise residents and support efforts to prevent further transmission.

He urged parents and guardians to ensure that children receive the recommended doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain further details from the Plateau State Ministry of Health were unsuccessful.

The State Epidemiologist, Maren Job, did not respond to calls placed to her phone.

The Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Katsina says its children’s ward is overwhelmed by an influx of suspected and confirmed diphtheria cases, while the number of infections and deaths from the disease in Katsina State remains unclear.

The hospital said on Saturday that patients were being referred from health facilities across the state, resulting in severe overcrowding and pressure on available bed spaces.

It did not disclose the number of children currently on admission, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases or deaths recorded so far.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on Saturday that the federal government had activated an emergency multi-agency task force involving the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the affected state governments and development partners.

The task force was directed to strengthen outbreak investigation and surveillance, intensify immunisation and expand access to treatment.

The federal government said the NPHCDA had deployed 500,000 vaccine doses to Katsina and Kano states for intensified immunisation in affected and at-risk communities.

It did not specify how many of the doses were allocated to Katsina.

Pressure on referral hospital

FTH Katsina, which serves as a major referral facility for Katsina and some neighbouring states, said the increasing number of patients had placed its paediatric services under considerable pressure.

“The hospital is making every possible arrangement to accommodate and manage the increasing number of patients, even in the absence of sufficient bed spaces,” the hospital said in its statement.

It said healthcare workers were continuing to attend to critically ill children despite the pressure on the ward.

The hospital also called for stronger collaboration among health institutions, government agencies and other stakeholders involved in the response.

The federal government has since directed the emergency task force to mobilise additional support to FTH Katsina, including diphtheria antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics, additional clinical personnel and personal protective equipment.

It also directed the establishment of treatment annexes across Katsina’s three senatorial zones, covering Katsina, Daura and Funtua, to reduce pressure on the referral hospital and bring treatment closer to affected communities.

Details of the locations, bed capacities and operational status of the proposed treatment centres have not yet been made public.

Questions over scale of outbreak

Despite the pressure reported at FTH Katsina and the activation of the federal emergency response, there is no official statements on the current Katsina-specific breakdown of suspected cases, confirmed infections, deaths or the LGAs most affected.

The vaccination status of the affected children is also yet to be disclosed.

These figures could help establish the extent to which gaps in routine immunisation are contributing to the outbreak.

The Federal Ministry of Health said part of the emergency intervention would focus on closing “population immunity gaps” by vaccinating unvaccinated children.

Questions also remain about when the current increase in cases was first detected, what measures were taken before referrals began to overwhelm FTH Katsina, and what diphtheria treatment capacity existed at secondary health facilities across the state before the latest federal intervention.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency is expected to brief journalists on the outbreak and the government’s response on Sunday.