All you need sabi about diphtheria wey kill 12-year-old boy for Lagos King's College

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Lagos State Ministry of Health don reveal say one 12-year-old boy die for one boarding school for di state almost two weeks afta e first show early symptoms of diphtheria.

Di mata happun for Kings College, Victoria Island annex.

According to statement wey di Ministry bin release, dat first case bin present for di school for February 22, and by March 6 di boy die from myocarditis for di Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Myocarditis na one of di complications wey di diphtheria toxin dey cause.

But di Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, tok say make pipo no panic as dem don activate one Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) to contain di outbreak and prevent more deaths.

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As at now, di Commissioer reveal say dem don dey closely observe 34 pipo wey bin get close contact to di dead student.

E say, "From dis pipo, 14 bin get symptoms wey dey consistent to diphtheria. Di affected pikin dem don go di Children Emergency Unit for LUTH wia dem bin dey screened by heath practitioners."

Dem find out say 12 of di pikin get early signs of Diphtheria and dem give dem antibiotics and di Diphtheria Ant toxoid Serum.

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On top di mata, di Ministry take di opportunity of di statement to announce say dem dey collabo wit federal health agencies and go soon launch vaccination campaign wey go target consented students for di school - dis include both di ones for di Victoria Island annexe and di main school for Igbosere.

As at September 2023, diphtheria bin infect ova 7,000 pipo and kill ova 400 around Nigeria by October - dat number don pass 600.

Dr Shuaibu Sani wey be sabi pesin on outbreak of diseases and how to stop dem (epidemiologist) tell BBC Pidgin say sabi pipo dey worry sake of di rising cases of di disease.

Dr Shuaibu wey dey work for Barau Dikko Hospital for Kaduna say anytime wey outbreak of disease happun na worrying time.

"Outbreak no mean say di disease no bin dey bifor, e just mean say e don pass di normal level wey we sabi and dey spread dey go," e tok.

"At di moment Nigeria suppose dey worry about diphtheria becos di figures wey comot no dey good for viewing and show say more efforts dey needed to tackle di problem."

Di doctor among oda reasons blame lack of joint efforts to tackle di problem.

"Many pipo and groups dey wey dey do research and do oda tins to fight di disease but di problem be say no be joint efforts. All of us wey dey fight against dis disease suppose dey do am togeda.

"For example now I fit do somtin wey be repetition of wetin sombodi don do already but if all of us dey togeda, di fight go make more sense," di doctor tok.

Wetin be diphtheria

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Diphtheria na one serious bacterial infection wey dey affect di mucous membranes of di nose and throat.

Diphtheria fit dey treated wit medicine and dey preventable wit vaccine.

Di Lagos State goment say dem get 500,000 doses of di vaccine for stock.

But if e don enta advance stage, e fit damage di heart, kidneys and nervous system.

Even wit treatment, diphtheria fit dey deadly, especially for pikin dem.

Diphtheria signs and symptoms usually start from two to five days afta pesin dey infected.

Signs and symptoms fit include:

  • Thick, gray membrane wey cover di throat and tonsils.
  • Sore throat and hoarseness.
  • Swell glands for di neck.
  • Difficulty for breathing or rapid breathing.
  • Nasal discharge.
  • Fever and chills.
  • Tiredness.

No be evribodi wey get di infection dey sick, and some pipo even if dem sick, di sickness no dey serious like dat. Na di pipo wey no dey sick dem dey call carriers of diphtheria becos even as dem no sick dem fit still spread am.

Anoda type of diphtheria na wetin dem dey call Skin (cutaneous) diphtheria.

E dey cause pain, redness and swelling wey similar to oda bacterial skin infections.

Ulcer gray membrane cover also fit be sign of skin diphtheria.

Although e dey more common for tropical. And e fit happun especially among pipo wey get poor hygiene and dey live for crowded conditions.

Make you go see doctor shaparly if you or your pikin don dey exposed to pesin wey get diphtheria.

If you no treat am, diphtheria fit lead to:

  • Breathing problems: Bacteria wey dey cause diphtheria fit produce toxin wey go damage tissue for di immediate area of infection — usually, di nose and throat. And dat one dey block breathing.
  • Heart damage: Diphtheria toxin fit spread through di bloodstream and damage oda tissues for di body. For example, e fit damage di heart muscle, cause complications as inflammation of di heart muscle (myocarditis). Heart damage from myocarditis fit dey slight or severe. At worst, myocarditis fit lead to heart failure and sudden death.
  • Nerve damage: Di toxin fit also cause nerve damage. Di targets na throat nerves, wia poor nerve conduction fit make am difficult to swallow. Nerves to di arms and legs also fit dey inflamed, and cause muscle weakness.

Wit treatment, most pipo wey get diphtheria dey survive dis complications, but recovery often dey slow. Diphtheria dey deadly about 5% to 10% of di time. Rates of death dey higher for children under age 5 or adults older dan age 40.

Wetin dey cause diphtheria

Diphtheria dey happun through one bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Di bacterium dey multiply for near di surface of di throat or skin. C. diphtheriae dey spread through:

Airborne droplet. Wen pesin wey dey infected sneeze or cough and release mist of droplet wey dey contaminated, pipo wey dey near fit inhale C diphtheriae. Diphtheria dey spread easily dis way, especially for place wey dey crowded.

Contaminated pesin or house items. Sometimes pipo dey catch diphtheria wen touch infected pesin tins, like used tissues or hand towels, wey fit dey contaminated wit di bacteria.

To touch infected pesin wound also fit transfer diphtheria-causing bacteria.

Pipo wey dey at increased risk to catch diphtheria na:

  • Children and adults.
  • Pipo wey dey live for crowded or dirty conditions.
  • Anyone wey travel to area wia diphtheria infections dey more common.