Five children from the same family have died from diphtheria in Danbare Ward, Layin Dutse, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, prompting renewed calls for routine immunisation and early medical intervention.
The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) confirmed the deaths in a statement on Tuesday by its Director-General, Prof. Muhammad Adamu-Abbas.
According to Adamu-Abbas, the deaths were confirmed through case definitions and verbal autopsies, with late presentation at health facilities and lack of vaccination identified as contributing factors.
The deceased children were aged between one and 13 years.
The director-general said investigations identified six children from the same family who were linked to the outbreak, but five died after being taken to health facilities too late.
The sixth child, four-year-old Ummahabila Ibrahim, was admitted on October 1, 2026, with mild diphtheria and discharged on October 4. A follow-up assessment on October 12 confirmed that she had recovered and was in good health.
The KNCDC said clinical symptoms among the affected children included fever, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, neck swelling, nasal bleeding or regurgitation, and white patches on the tonsils, known as pseudomembranes.
Medical assessments also identified complications associated with severe diphtheria, including low platelet counts, anaemia, nerve damage and the risk of upper airway obstruction.
Epidemiological findings showed that three of the five deceased children had received no vaccinations.
The children’s mother reportedly said two of the children had been immunised, but their routine immunisation cards were unavailable because they had allegedly been lost during relocation.
Adamu-Abbas urged parents and caregivers to take children with missed vaccine doses to the nearest primary healthcare facility and promptly report unusual illnesses to health authorities or their local government Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers.
He cautioned residents against delaying medical treatment or relying on self-medication, stressing that diphtheria is a severe but vaccine-preventable disease transmitted through respiratory droplets and close contact.
The disease can cause fever, sore throat, neck swelling and breathing difficulties, and may become life-threatening without prompt treatment.
“The report of five child deaths in one household is a serious signal requiring continuous vigilance,” the director-general said.
He called on residents to prioritise routine immunisation, seek medical attention early and cooperate with public health authorities to prevent further deaths and contain diphtheria outbreaks across Kano State.
