Diphtheria Outbreak Claims Thirty-One Lives in Nigeria Plateau State
An outbreak of diphtheria in Nigeria's central Plateau State has claimed at least 31 lives, health authorities have confirmed. The epidemic has prompted an urgent public health response across multiple local government areas as officials grapple with hundreds of suspected infections.
Addressing a press conference in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, State Health Commissioner Dr. Nicholas Bamlong reported that 469 suspected cases of diphtheria have been identified across 10 local government areas. While sporadic cases were detected at the beginning of the year, health officials noted that the transmission rate escalated sharply in August, turning the situation into a major public health emergency. Among the total suspected cases, three have been conclusively verified through laboratory testing.
The geographic distribution of the outbreak indicates a severe concentration in the Jos North area, which accounts for 370 of the suspected cases. Additional infections have been tracked across other districts, including 29 in Wase, 22 in Jos South, 16 each in Barkin Ladi and Mangu, and five in Pankshin.
In response to the crisis, local authorities have intensified containment protocols, deploying teams for active case finding, contact tracing, and community awareness campaigns. As part of ongoing mitigation efforts, health workers have administered diphtheria and tetanus vaccines to more than 160,000 children in the affected region.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection that primarily targets the respiratory system, potentially causing severe breathing difficulties and fatal complications in advanced stages. Public health experts emphasize that the disease remains entirely preventable through routine immunization.
