The Kano State Centre for Disease Control has disclosed that 1,747 people have died from diphtheria since the outbreak began in December 2022.
The agency also said the state has recorded 32,633 confirmed cases out of 39,536 suspected cases, with the disease spreading across all 44 Local Government Areas of the state.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Muhammad Abbas, disclosed this while speaking on Channels Television.
Abbas, however, dismissed reports that 50 children recently died from diphtheria in Rano Local Government Area, describing the claim as inaccurate.
He said Rano had recorded 29 deaths since the outbreak began there in 2023, with only three confirmed to have been caused by diphtheria.
The DG identified low vaccination coverage and late presentation as major challenges in the fight against the disease.
According to him, only 24.35 per cent of confirmed cases were fully vaccinated, while 75.65 per cent were either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
He said Kano requires nearly nine million doses of diphtheria vaccines to conduct a mass vaccination campaign across the state.
Abbas said the state currently has enough vaccines for reactive vaccination in communities where cases are detected, adding that the Federal Government had supplied 500,000 vials for people above four years and 150,000 doses for children below four.
He also urged residents to seek medical attention early, noting that late presentation increases the risk of complications and death.
Abbas explained that diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable bacterial infection transmitted through airborne and respiratory droplets.
He listed cough, fever, drooling, neck pain and difficulty swallowing among its symptoms, adding that severe cases may develop a swollen “bull neck” and a greyish-white membrane in the throat.
