Containing the Diphtheria Outbreak in Kano

More than 50 children have reportedly died from diphtheria in Rano Local Government Area of Nigeria’s Kano State, prompting calls for a much larger public-health response.

Emergency steps have included purchasing medication and deploying health workers to affected communities. But pressure is also building at the Federal Teaching Hospital in neighboring Katsina State, where the children’s ward is handling suspected and confirmed cases.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection affecting the throat and nose. It can cause breathing difficulties, heart rhythm problems and damage to the lungs and kidneys, and can ultimately be fatal. Children under five are considered especially vulnerable because their immunity may not withstand the associated illnesses.

The editorial attributes Nigeria’s repeated outbreaks since 2011 to poor vaccination coverage for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. It cites epidemiologist and virology professor Oyewale Tomori, who said official figures indicated that only about 60% of Nigerians had been vaccinated against diphtheria, while warning that the figures could not be relied upon. He estimated that as many as 87 million people might be unvaccinated.

Other cited weaknesses include inadequate vaccine storage and transport, limited disease and laboratory surveillance, poor emergency response and low public awareness. The editorial says authorities at all levels should coordinate mass vaccination, prioritize treatment for infected people and launch public information campaigns.