A diphtheria outbreak has killed several children in Mbutu Community, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.
The Chairman of Aboh Mbaise LGA, Iheukwumere Alaribe, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Monday.
Diphtheria claimed the lives of the children less than a week after its outbreak.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease caused by the toxin-producing bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
It affects the nose and throat and can also impact the skin. It spreads through respiratory droplets or direct contact with infected persons or contaminated surfaces.
Following the outbreak, schools in Mbutu have been temporarily closed. Parents have also been advised to keep their children indoors.
Godspower Dike, spokesman for the chairman, said an isolation centre had been set up at Mbutu Health Centre.
The chairman stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Department of Disease Prevention and Control in the Imo State Ministry of Health, and health workers from Aboh Mbaise LGA were working tirelessly to investigate and contain the outbreak, Dike said.
Alaribe urged parents to vaccinate their children immediately.
“In light of this outbreak, parents who have not yet vaccinated their children are strongly urged to do so without delay. Vaccinations are crucial for preventing the spread of diseases and protecting our children’s health,” he said.
Dike appealed to the public to remain calm and support the containment effort.
“We encourage the public to remain calm and cooperate with the relevant authorities as we work to control this outbreak. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” he said.
Earlier in May, two children died from diphtheria in the Tukur-Tukur community of Zaria, Kaduna State.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 9 March 2025, the country has recorded 25,812 confirmed cases out of 42,642 suspected across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The outbreak has resulted in 1,319 deaths since 2022.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters earlier reported in March how an outbreak of diphtheria at the King’s College, Victoria Island Annexe, resulting in the death of a 12-year-old student and the hospitalisation of 14 others.
Authorities have identified 34 close contacts of the deceased, placing them under observation to monitor for symptoms of the bacterial infection.
In response to the outbreak, the Lagos State government has activated an Emergency Response Committee and announced plans to commence mass vaccination of schoolchildren on Monday.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that the situation was under control.
According to Abayomi, the index case was a 12-year-old boy who presented with a sore throat and fever at the school’s health facility on February 22.
He was immediately referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where he was admitted to the pediatric emergency ward.
Despite receiving appropriate antibiotics and a full dose of diphtheria toxoid serum, the student succumbed to myocarditis, a severe and recognised complication of the infection, on March 6.
Of the 34 identified close contacts, 14 students have developed symptoms consistent with diphtheria and were promptly transferred to LUTH’s Children’s Emergency Unit for screening.
Medical examinations confirmed that 12 of them had early signs of the disease, and they were immediately placed on treatment, receiving antibiotics and diphtheria antitoxin serum.
