Dozens killed as Diphtheria outbreak hits Kano

Dozens of people have been killed as an infectious disease identified as Diphtheria outbreak hits the ancient city of Kano.

It was gathered that the Commissioner of Health, Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa and other rapid response team were currently in an emergency meeting at the Emergency Operation Centre, EOC located in Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital over the outbreak.

A leaked record of the State’s Ministry of Health revealed that 58 suspected cases of the outbreak were documented, 25 persons mostly children lost their lives while six were on admission in isolation centres to the outbreak as at last Friday, 13th January, 2023.

Vanguard gathered that the outbreak was first noticed in Ungogo Local Government Area of the state where Locals puts number of fatality recorded at 13 as at last week.

The Ward head of Bare-Bari, Ado Maiunguwa said they lost about 11 persons mostly children to the outbreak in the area while another resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said, two other persons lost their lives in Tudun Rubudi area of the Local Government.

As at the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the Commissioner of Health, Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa for update on the outbreak proved abortive as calls put to his phone number rang severally but no response.

Meanwhile, sources familiar with the development said with the enormity of the outbreak, the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC and the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) popularly known as Doctors without borders have since deployed their personnel to the state for interventions to arrest the situation. (Vanguard)