The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed 1,534 cases of diphtheria have been confirmed in the country.
It added that 4,160 suspected cases have been reported in 139 local government areas in 27 states.
In its report from May 2022 to July 2023, released on its website, the NCDC stated that the confirmed cases were from 56 LGAs in Kano (1,207), Yobe (252); Bauchi (41); Katsina (9); Lagos (8); FCT (6); Kaduna (5), that Niger (2); Gombe (2); Osun (1); Jigawa (1); and Cross River (1).
According to the report, Kano (3,233), Yobe (477), Katsina (132), Kaduna (101), Bauchi (54), FCT (41) and Lagos (30) account for 97.8 per cent of the suspected cases.
Diphtheria, caused by a toxin produced by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, is a vaccine-preventable disease covered by one of the vaccines provided routinely through Nigeria’s childhood immunisation schedule.
