• As Diphtheria Spreads To 13 Councils
Kano State Government has confirmed four new cases of Lassa fever in the state.
Besides, the infectious Diphtheria disease outbreak has now spread to 13 local councils with 18 deaths.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ibrahim Tsanyawa, disclosed that the 26- year- old index case of Lassa fever (names withheld) was admitted on January 10, 2023 at Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital.
He said that three other cases were uncovered from 10 samples obtained from the high-risk contacts of the index case, while three persons tested positive.
“The four confirmed cases are presently at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Isolation Centre,” he said.
The last confirmed case of Lassa fever in Kano was in January 2020 with three persons dead and 292 cases on the watch-list.
On Diphtheria, Tsanyawa said that 100 suspected cases were recorded with eight confirmed, while still awaiting more results.
He said 27 patients were on admission while 41 others had been managed and discharged successfully.
He said the state government, in partnership with the Medecins San Frontiers (MSF) had set up a Diphtheria Treatment Centre at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in the state.
He revealed that the government also appointed Dr. Salma Suwaid, a consultant paediatrician, as lead case manager, in addition to the ongoing case management by the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH).
The commissioner said that state government was planning to conduct a routine immunisation campaign to reach out to all illegible children in the affected councils.
He cautioned residents to present their children for routine immunisation to curtail spread of the disease, while calling for improved hygiene and abide with all COVID-19 protocols to guide against Lassa fever infection.
