61 killed in diphtheria outbreak in Kano state, Nigeria
The CCTV news client reported that a diphtheria outbreak broke out in Kano state of Nigeria recently. As of March 2 local time, a total of 783 patients had been admitted to the hospital and 61 people had died.
Salma Suwaid, Kano state case manager at the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention, disclosed the data at a seminar, where she emphasized the urgent need for vaccinations to stop the spread of the disease.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that affects the upper airways, causing difficulty breathing, heart failure, and even death. The disease is highly contagious and spreads easily through coughing and sneezing.
In 2016, 86% of children around the world received three doses of diphtheria vaccine at the age of one, and the number of diphtheria patients was only over 7,000, making diphtheria a disease that people can almost forget.
