Deaths toll from the outbreak of diphtheria disease in Kaduna has reportedly reached to 13.
In Kafanchan, 10 people had died from the disease in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, while 3 children died in Makarfi Local Government Area, while seven others were hospitalised.
The Markafi LG Local Council Health Secretary, Malam Aliyu Alhassan, said the suspected cases occurred at Tashar Na Kawu community in Gubuchi Ward of the area.
He said: “Affected victims were children and the specimen of the victims was forwarded to Abuja for analysis. Those suspected with the disease have been taken to hospital and isolated for medical observation and contact tracing is going on to prevent further spread of the disease.”
The Kaduna State government has alerted citizens on the outbreak and ordered the Ministry of Health to despatch an emergency team to investigate cases and take immediate action reports.
Meanwhile, the Chief Epidemiologist, of Kaduna State Ministry of Health, Dr Jeremiah Daikwo, has lamented that some communities in the state were rejecting vaccine against anthrax.
He said findings showed that 17 people were infected and “we are still doing contact search to identify more people who may have been infected.”
Anthrax a bacterial disease that affects domestic and wild animals and can infect human beings especially children who may have had contact with infected animals.
