Twelve cases of diphtheria have been confirmed at the First Lady’s College, Mariri, in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
The Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, said the agency immediately sent a response team to the school following reports.
According to Abbas, the agency carried out tests on 313 suspected cases, with 12 returning positive results after an active search for infections among students.
“We received the report on Wednesday and went there immediately for investigation and response aimed at curtailing further spread of the disease,” he said.
He said the agency had provided medication to suspected contacts and educated other students about the disease as part of its containment measures.
Abbas, however, identified the shortage of vaccines as a major challenge, saying the school, which has more than 2,000 students, needs a large-scale vaccination exercise to prevent further infections.
“There is a need for massive vaccination in the school, which we presently do not have. We have to ask for more vaccines to administer to the students,” he said.
He explained that the agency was monitoring disease reports through its Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) stationed across Kano State’s 44 local government areas.
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