The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) has confirmed the deaths of five children from the same family following a diphtheria outbreak in Danbare Ward, Layin Dutse, Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.
The Director-General of the centre, Prof. Muhammad Adamu-Abbas, confirmed the deaths in a statement on Tuesday, attributing them to late presentation at a health facility and lack of vaccination.
He said the deceased children were aged between one and 13 years, adding that investigations identified six children from the same household who were affected by the disease.
According to him, five of the children died, while the sixth, four-year-old Ummahabila Ibrahim, recovered after receiving treatment at a health facility.
Adamu-Abbas said Ummahabila was admitted on October 1, 2026, with mild diphtheria and discharged on October 4. A follow-up assessment on October 12 confirmed that she was healthy.
The KNCDC boss listed the symptoms observed among the affected children to include fever, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, neck swelling, nasal bleeding, regurgitation and white patches on the tonsils.
He added that clinical assessments also revealed complications such as severe diphtheria, anaemia, low platelet count, nerve damage and the risk of upper airway obstruction.
The statement noted that three of the five deceased children had never received any vaccination. Although their mother reportedly said two of the children had been immunised, there were no routine immunisation cards to verify the claim, as the documents were said to have been lost during relocation.
The director-general urged parents and caregivers to visit the nearest primary healthcare facility to complete missed vaccinations and 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 serious but vaccine-preventable disease transmitted through respiratory droplets and close contact.
Adamu-Abbas explained that the disease could cause fever, sore throat, neck swelling and breathing difficulties, warning that multiple deaths among children in one household constituted a serious public health concern.
He called on residents to prioritise routine immunisation, seek prompt medical attention and cooperate with public health officials to prevent further deaths and contain the spread of diphtheria across Kano State.