There has been an outbreak of Diphtheria in parts of Abuja, according to the Federal Capital Territory.
At a news conference on Monday in Abuja, FCT Director of Public Health, Dr Sadiq Abdulrahman, announced the outbreak.
He noted that a four-year-old had already died from Diphtheria, adding that outbreaks earlier recorded in Lagos, Ondo, and Kano states in January prompted a national response.
As a result of a bacteria known as Corynebacterium Diphtheriae, diphtheria can cause breathing difficulties, heart rhythm problems, and even death.
According to the Director, tests on samples from suspected cases near Dei-Dei confirmed the outbreak.
Two weeks ago, we received information from a community within the FCT about eight cases, which prompted our team to pick some samples.
One of the suspected cases tested positive at the National Reference Laboratory, Gaduwa, and the NCDC.
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As part of his message, he urged residents to report any strange symptoms, especially respiratory challenges, to the appropriate authorities and to maintain good personal hygiene at all times.
Abdulrahman claimed that the Department was working with neighbouring states to monitor the borders in order to stop the disease’s spread.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yahaya Vatsa, the Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Board, issued a warning that unvaccinated individuals who resided in crowded and unclean settings were particularly vulnerable to contracting the illness.
He asked locals to follow the National Childhood Immunization Schedule and make sure their children were completely immunised.
“FCT residents are hereby encouraged to make sure that their children receive three doses of the pentavalent vaccine in order to lower the chance of contracting the disease. According to the National Childhood Immunization Schedule, this is advised.
Vatsa encouraged anyone exhibiting any of the symptoms to keep to themselves and contact the Emergency Operation Center or the FCT Disease Surveillance Notification Officer using the toll-free numbers on the FCT Contact Center.
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