Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Baamlong, has confirmed the death of 23 people, while 143 suspected cases of infection have been recorded as a diphtheria outbreak sweeps across the state over the last two weeks.
Baamlong, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Jos on Tuesday, said the state government and his ministry had intensified efforts to contain the spread of the infectious disease.
He said this included the immediate quarantine of identified patients while they receive treatment at Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau Specialist Hospital.
Baamlong said the affected patients were being treated in isolation, while the government had activated awareness campaigns across communities through traditional rulers and other stakeholders to curtail further transmission.
Baamlong further explained that diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets and close contact.
The Commissioner said the state was facing difficulties in confirming suspected cases due to the unavailability of specialised containers required for collecting and transporting samples to laboratories.
“So far, we have 143 suspected cases; we have had 23 deaths and nine currently on admission at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, and the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos,” Baamlong said.
He noted that the biggest challenges facing the ministry following the disease outbreak were late presentation and obtaining antitoxin, as diphtheria can spread very quickly through contact, coughing, sneezing and close association.
“We are having challenges with the diagnosis because the sample is supposed to be collected in a special container so that we can send it for confirmation, but we do not have such containers,” he stated.
The Commissioner, however, assured that the state government had stepped up sensitisation efforts at the community level, leveraging traditional rulers and other stakeholders to educate residents about the disease and ways to prevent its spread.
“We have so far activated awareness campaigns in communities through traditional rulers and other stakeholders to curtail the spread,” Baamlong assured.
