NCDC reports 111 confirmed diphtheria cases, 22 deaths

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) yesterday announced that the country had confirmed 111 cases of diphtheria with 22 deaths between December 1, 2022 and the third week in January 2023.

The diphtheria situation report from the NCDC showed that Kano State has the highest burden of confirmed cases – 107, with 21 confirmed deaths. Lagos State reported one confirmed case with one death; Yobe State with two confirmed cases with no death; and Osun State with one confirmed case with no death.

A week ago, the NCDC had reported 123 confirmed cases with 38 deaths, but investigation by The Nation revealed that the figure reported earlier was not accurate, as the data sent in by the states were for suspected diphtheria cases and not for confirmed cases.

This explains the decrease in the number of confirmed cases and deaths in the latest report.

NCDC Director General Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa said: “Surveillance for diphtheria is still a challenge which we are working with the partners at the state level to improve. The first situation report published for diphtheria offers the correct data for suspected cases and confirmed cases.”

The NCDC report stated: “Between the first and third week of January, a total of 132 suspected cases were reported from two states: Kano, 130 (98.5 per cent); Yobe, two (1.5 per cent). Of the suspected cases reported, 89 (67.4 per cent) were confirmed (clinically compatible), six (4.5 per cent) were discarded, and 37 (28.0 per cent) are pending classification.

“During the same period, confirmed cases were all from 12 local government areas of Kano State. Nine deaths were recorded from all the confirmed cases (CFR: 10.1 per cent).

“Between December 1, 2022 and the third week in January, a total of 253 suspected cases were reported: Kano (169), Yobe (78), Lagos (five) and Osun (one).

“Of the suspected cases reported, 111 (42.1 per cent) were confirmed (eight lab confirmed and 103 clinically compatible), 18 (7.1 per cent) were discarded, 40 (15.3 per cent) are pending classification, while 84 (33.2 per cent) were unknown.

“Majority (91.9 per cent) of the confirmed cases occurred in those aged two to 14 years. A total of 22 deaths (CFR = 19.8 per cent) were recorded among confirmed cases. Only 12 (10.8 per cent) out of 111 confirmed cases were fully vaccinated with a diphtheria toxin-containing vaccine.”

(Nation)