Health authorities in Kano State have confirmed 12 cases of diphtheria at First Lady’s College, Mariri, located in Kumbotso Local Government Area.
The outbreak was detected at the boarding school, which accommodates more than 2,000 students, prompting an emergency response from the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC).
A school staff member disclosed that health officials arrived on Thursday following reports of the outbreak.
The source explained that one student who developed severe symptoms was taken to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Kano, while other affected students were receiving treatment within the school.
The Director-General of KNCDC, Professor Muhammad Adamu Abbas, also confirmed the development, saying the agency received information about the situation on Wednesday and immediately deployed a team to investigate.
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According to him, health officials tested 313 suspected cases, with 12 eventually confirmed clinically.
He added that the agency carried out active screening within the school, provided medication to suspected contacts and educated students about the disease to prevent further transmission.
However, Abbas expressed concern over the inadequate supply of vaccines needed to protect the school’s large population.
He stressed that an extensive vaccination exercise was necessary to prevent the disease from spreading further among the students.
The KNCDC director-general said the agency would need to request additional vaccine supplies to carry out the exercise across the institution.
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