Combating Diphtheria Through Hygiene Practices Ahead Of Easter Celebrations – Independent Newspaper Nigeria (2025)

As Lagos residents gear up for Easter celebrations amid the school vacation, the state government has stressed the importance of strict adherence to pre­cautionary measures, particularly regular hand­washing, and other hygiene practices, to combat the ongoing diphtheria outbreak.

Recently, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) declared this year’s diphtheria outbreak to be the worst in a decade, with the previous out­break occurring in 2011 in Nigeria.

Diphtheria is a serious, contagious bacterial infection, primarily affecting the nose and throat, caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae and characterised by a thick, gray membrane (pseu­domembrane) in the throat, potentially leading to breathing difficulties.

The outbreak which started in Kano State in December 2022, has spread across to other states, including Lagos and Osun with confirmed cases and deaths, as of March 30, 2025.

On March 11, 2025, the Lagos State Government confirmed the death of a 12-year-old student at King’s College, Victoria Island Annexe, following a diphtheria outbreak in the school’s boarding house earlier on in the week.

Prof Akin Abayomi Lagos State Commissioner for Health, announced that the deceased student first exhibited symptoms of sore throat and fever on February 22 and was immediately referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for treatment.

Despite receiving antibiotics and diphtheria antitoxin serum, the boy succumbed to severe complications, including myocarditis (inflam­mation of the heart), on March 6, the State gov­ernment confirmed.

“Following his death, health authorities iden­tified 34 close contacts of the student and placed them under observation. Of these, 14 developed symptoms consistent with diphtheria. After screening at LUTH, 12 were confirmed to have early signs of the disease and were admitted for treatment.”

Also, on March 31, the state government dis­closed that it had recorded 10 confirmed cases of diphtheria between January 1 and March 27, 2025. It further reiterated that health authorities are intensifying efforts to curb the outbreak.

Suspected cases have fluctuated over the peri­od, with some days recording as many as 15 cases and others as few as one, Abayomi said.

Providing an update on the outbreak, the Commissioner revealed that laboratory tests conducted on 76 samples confirmed 10 positive cases, while 63 samples returned negative results. “Another three samples collected on March 26 are still pending results.”

Abayomi further disclosed that the outbreak has been reported in multiple Local Govern­ment Areas (LGAs), with Eti-Osa being the most affected, recording 44 suspected cases. According to him, other impacted LGAs include Alimosho, Badagry, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Ojo, Mushin, and Lagos Island, where various numbers of suspected and confirmed cases have been identified.

Abayomi urged the public to cooperate with health authorities, noting that this measure is essential to prevent further transmission of the disease.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diphtheria, a serious bacterial infection, manifests with symptoms like a sore throat, fever, and a thick, gray coating in the throat or nose, this can lead to difficulty breathing and swallowing.

Others are: Sore throat and difficulty swallow­ing; A hallmark symptom, often mistaken for a bad sore throat in its early stages; swollen glands in the neck, hoarseness, weakness and fatigue, nasal discharge, cough, drooling, malaise, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing or rapid breathing, bluish coloration of the skin and skin sores.

Also, heart problems: Diphtheria toxin can cause inflammation of the heart muscle and valves, potentially leading to heart failure, nerve damage: It can cause nerve damage, leading to paralysis, sluggishness or lethargy, paralysis and lung infection or loss of lung function.

Diphtheria, a highly contagious bacterial in­fection, spreads primarily through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, or through direct contact with infected sores or ulcers. When someone with diphtheria coughs or sneezes, they release tiny droplets containing the bacteria into the air. If someone nearby inhales these droplets, they can become infected.

Diphtheria can also spread through direct contact with infected open sores or ulcers. Less commonly, diphtheria can spread through contact with contaminated objects, such as shared cups, cutlery, clothing, or bedding.

It can also spread through asymptomatic car­riers; some people can carry the diphtheria bacte­ria without showing any symptoms and can still transmit the infection to others.

Practicing frequent hand washing, especial­ly before handling food and after being in public places, can help prevent the spread of the bacteria. Avoid contact with infected individuals; if some­one is known to have diphtheria, it’s important to avoid close contact with them. Covering coughs and sneezes, and properly disposing of tissues, can help prevent the spread of the disease.

Also, prompt diagnosis and treatment of diph­theria cases are crucial to prevent complications and further spread. Close contacts of individu­als with diphtheria may be given antibiotics to prevent infection or in some cases, quarantine measures may be necessary to prevent the spread of the disease.

For travel precaution, if traveling to areas where diphtheria is common, ensure you are up-to-date on your vaccinations and consider a boost­er dose. Also, healthcare workers should follow infection control protocols, including proper hand hygiene and using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

In Lagos State, the Commissioner reiterated that vaccination efforts targeting close contacts of index cases, suspected patients, and frontline health workers remain ongoing. He disclosed that a total of 36,310 individuals have been vaccinated so far. This, according to him, includes 7,473 indi­viduals aged nine to 17 years and 28,837 individu­als aged 18 years and above, among whom 13,633 are healthcare workers.

Abayomi also noted that risk communication and public health sensitisation efforts, which com­menced at the onset of the outbreak, have been reinforced through community-based social mo­bilisation and media campaigns.

As Lagos residents prepare for the Easter cel­ebrations, and the second-term school vacation, the Commissioner therefore urged for strict ad­herence to precautionary measures, especially regular hand washing. Indeed, the public should maintain high levels of hygiene, wash hands reg­ularly, use sanitisers, and avoid crowded places to combat the diphtheria outbreak.