NEW DIPHTHERIA OUTBREAK REPORTED AT BOARDING SCHOOL WITH MORE THAN 2,000 STUDENT

SKANO, NOVEMBER 14 /SRNA/ - A new diphtheria outbreak has erupted at a boarding school with more than 2,000 students in Nigeria's Kano State, after health authorities reported cases of the infection at the school.

Children aged five to 14 are among those most at risk, while around two-thirds of those infected have not been vaccinated.

As of last Saturday, November 7, a total of 28,151 people had contracted the disease, while 1,126 had died.

The disease has spread to 26 Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital, Abuja, is located.

Diphtheria is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that primarily affects the nose and throat, Nigerian media reported.

It spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact with infected people, making boarding schools and institutions where large numbers of people share accommodation particularly susceptible to outbreaks.

Without timely treatment, the disease can cause serious respiratory problems, heart complications and death.

Health authorities cite insufficient vaccination coverage and delays in seeking medical care as the main obstacles to containing the outbreak.