Diphtheria Outbreak in Zamfara Claims 44 Lives

The Zamfara State Ministry of Health has reported 44 deaths linked to a diphtheria outbreak, with 367 clinically suspected cases identified. Dr. Yusuf Haske, the State Director of Public Health, provided this update in a telephone interview on Monday in Gusau.

Following the outbreak, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology extended the school resumption date. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the diphtheria-causing organism, with samples sent to the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja for further diagnosis.

On the directive of Gov. Dauda Lawal, the health ministry declared the outbreak and activated the Incident Management System to coordinate the response, which includes rapid response teams and case-management activities across all 14 local government areas.

Isolation centers have been established in general hospitals, particularly in Gusau Local Government Area, which has the highest number of cases. Although the number of cases is still increasing, the number of deaths has decreased, and many patients are responding positively to treatment.