No Confirmed Case Of Diphtheria In Enugu — Commissioner

The Enugu State Commissioner for Health, George Ugwu, has said that there is currently no confirmed case of diphtheria in the state.

The clarification follows a suspected case reported at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.

Ugwu, a professor, said the case was investigated by health authorities, but the diagnosis of diphtheria could not be confirmed, with the patient instead suspected to have tonsillitis.

“So far, there is no confirmed case of diphtheria in Enugu State. However, the Ministry of Health remains vigilant and is taking all necessary measures to protect the people of the state,” he revealed.

The commissioner said the ministry’s Public Health and Surveillance Unit remains on alert to ensure early detection and prompt response to any suspected case.

He urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading rumours or unverified information.

Ugwu also advised residents experiencing symptoms such as fever, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, cough, difficulty breathing, neck swelling or a greyish-white membrane in the throat to seek medical attention promptly.

He urged parents and guardians to ensure that children are fully immunised with diphtheria-containing vaccines, including the pentavalent vaccine.

The commissioner further called on healthcare workers to promptly report suspected cases and maintain appropriate infection-prevention and control measures.

Several states in the country have recorded confirmed cases of diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable disease.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that eight states in the country account for 98 per cent of the confirmed cases of the disease.

It also said that 68 per cent of the confirmed cases of diphtheria — a vaccine-preventable disease — involved unvaccinated people, based on available data.

The affected states are Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara.