No fewer than 59 persons have died out of 481 diphtheria cases recorded by the Borno State Primary Healthcare Board in the 14 local government areas of the state.
Goni Abba, the Director, Public Health, Ministry of Health in Borno State, made the disclosure in Maiduguri on Wednesday.
According to him, “About 20 cases are currently on admission and 216 samples were taken to the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja for analysis.”
He explained that 29 samples were returned from the National Reference Laboratory, adding that in their response, they meet daily at the public health laboratory to brainstorm with their partners on a timely response to the diphtheria cases.
The director observed that some of the cases were so difficult that the children could not swallow or breathe properly, stressing that the serious cases of diphtheria were referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
He stated that they (children) needed a tracheostomy to open the trachea for them to swallow and breathe.
Abba explained that the diphtheria spread and mortality have been controlled after the state government deployed local government rapid response teams with drugs and antitoxins.
Unlike how they started in July, he said that cases are coming down, pointing out that the Ministry of Health and NCDC have been supporting them with drugs, and also have the antitoxin, and children are being vaccinated.
He assured that they are responding positively to diphtheria and trying to bring all the cases under control.
