The federal government confirmed that 7,202 cases of diphtheria have been recorded in 18 states across the country whereas the North has 7,188 out of the total number representing 99.8%, and 14 cases were recorded from the southern states.
This was disclosed in a press statement jointly signed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday.
The government said it confirmed the figure out of 11,587 suspected cases with 453 deaths occurring from the infection across 105 Local Government Areas in 18 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
North has 7,188 out of the total number representing 99.8%, where Kano, the epicentre of the infection, recorded 6,185 cases, Yobe (640), Katsina (213), Borno (95), Kaduna (16), Jigawa (14), Bauchi (eight), FCT (five), Gombe (five), Sokoto (three), Niger (two), Nasarawa (one) and Zamfara State with one.
In the southern states, Lagos has eight, Osun (three), Cross River (one), Enugu (one) and Imo State with one.
It also noted that 5,299 of the confirmed cases, which is 73.6 per cent, occurred among children aged one to 14 years, with those aged five to 14 years bearing most of the brunt of the disease.
NCDC also said the disease spreads easily among people through direct contact with infected people, droplets from coughing or sneezing, and contact with contaminated clothing and objects.
The symptoms of diphtheria include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, red eyes (conjunctivitis), and neck swelling. In severe cases, NCDC said that a thick grey or white patch appears on the tonsils and, or at the back of the throat associated with difficulty in breathing.
