Diphtheria: FCT records 1 death, out of 8 cases

By Stanley Onyekwere

The outbreak of the deadly diphtheria disease in the Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has claimed the life of a-four-year-old boy, out of eight reported cases in the Territory.
Confirming this development yesterday, Director, FCT Public Health department, Sadiq Abdulrahman, disclosed that two weeks ago, the department was alerted of a possible outbreak of the disease in Dei-Dei, with eight suspected cases reported.
Abdulrahman, said information available to it confirmed that the disease was imported from neighbouring Niger state.
He added that the department immediately swung into action by activating its emergency response through which it collected samples for test at the National Reference Laboratory in Gaduwa as well as the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, noting that the outcome of the result which came last Friday, indicated that one came out positive out of the eight.
The Director explained that the Department is collaborating with neighbouring states to checkmate further spread of the disease from contagious states through border surveillance as he advised residents to take their personal hygiene seriously.
On his part, the Executive Secretary, Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Board Dr. Isa Vatsa, explained that diphtheria is caused by bacteria which signs includes fever, running nose, difficulty in breathing and can be transmitted through sneezing, droplets, coughing and contact with contaminated.
Vatsa however, advised residents to visit the over 400 vaccines outlets across the territory to get vaccinated against the disease.