Diphtheria: Plateau Death Toll Rises To 27, Lagos Confirms 6 Cases

Suspected cases of diphtheria in Plateau State have risen to 303, with the death toll increasing to 27, as the state government steps up measures to contain the outbreak.

This is just as the Lagos State commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the state has recorded sporadic cases of diphtheria this year, with 53 suspected infections and six confirmed by laboratory diagnosis.

Abayomi revealed this yesterday at a press briefing on Lagos State’s Diphtheria Preparedness and Response, held at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

But in Plateau State, the state epidemiologist, Dr Maren Damulak, gave the figures when he spoke with newsmen.

He said the fatalities had risen from the previously reported 23, adding thatmost of the suspected cases were recorded in Jos North local government area, with Rikkos community identified as one of the worst-affected areas.

“Children account for a significant proportion of those affected, he said.

The latest development comes as the state government intensifies surveillance, contact tracing, community sensitisation and vaccination across affected communities.

The government had earlier ordered the temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools in the state from 7th September, following the detection of suspected cases in Jos North, Jos South, Bassa and Wase councils.

The measure, according to the government, was aimed at reducing transmission among pupils, students and school staff while health authorities strengthen surveillance and response activities.

Some suspected patients are currently receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, and Plateau State Specialist Hospital, PSSH, where isolation facilities have been provided.

In Jos North, the local government council has deployed additional logistics, including motorcycles, to enhance contact tracing, field surveillance and community outreach.

Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of Jos North Local Government Council, Barrister John Kyohroh Christopher, has urged residents to prioritise personal and environmental hygiene to help curb the spread of the disease.

Christopher spoke during an on-the-spot assessment of affected communities and a visit to some suspected patients receiving treatment at the Primary Healthcare Clinic in Abba Na Shehu Ward.

He said the visit was aimed at assessing the situation firsthand, encouraging affected persons and ensuring that government interventions reached those in need.

The council chairman assured residents that the council, in collaboration with the Plateau State Government and health partners, was taking proactive steps to address the situation.

According to him, preventive medications had been administered to infants and to persons exposed to the infection.

“Health officials are also on the ground collecting samples and sending them to the laboratory for further investigation. “Early detection is key, and that is why our teams are moving from house to house,” he said.

Christopher disclosed that sensitisation campaigns had been intensified across the 20 wards of the local government area.

“Diphtheria is airborne and highly contagious. Basic hygiene can drastically reduce the spread,” he said.

He urged residents to clear drainage, promptly evacuate refuse, and discourage indiscriminate waste disposal.

The chairman commended Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang for his swift intervention and support towards containing the outbreak.

He also praised health workers for their commitment, saying teams had been equipped to move directly into affected homes whenever suspected cases were reported, collect samples and administer medications.

Christopher urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspected cases or symptoms, such as a sore throat, fever, difficulty breathing, and a swollen neck, to the nearest primary healthcare facility without delay.

In a related development, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has directed the immediate mobilisation of drugs and other medical commodities to health facilities handling patients affected by the diphtheria outbreak.

The Director-General of the Plateau State Drug and Medical Commodity Management Agency, PSDMA, Pharmacist Kim Jerry Bot, disclosed this, saying the intervention was already ongoing at JUTH and PSSH.

Bot said the state government acted swiftly following reports of the outbreak, adding that efforts were underway to extend the support to other affected health facilities.

He said the Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, had also provided the necessary leadership in coordinating the state’s response.

“Governor Caleb Mutfwang has directed, and we have acted accordingly. Our workaholic Honourable Commissioner, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, has provided the requisite leadership.

“Medications and commodities have been duly mobilised to JUTH and PSSH, while we are already working on the other centres,” Bot said.

He commended Governor Mutfwang for what he described as his empathy and prompt intervention in addressing the health emergency.

Meanwhile, passengers using Tin-City Metro buses in Plateau State will be required to wear face masks from Wednesday as part of measures to curb the spread of diphtheria.

The directive was announced by the management of Plateau Express Services Group in a statement issued on Monday.

“The Management of Plateau Express Services Group has directed the enforcement of a ‘No Face Mask, No Entry’ policy on all TinCity Metro buses, effective Tuesday, 8 September 2026, until further notice,” the statement read.

TinCity Metro is Plateau State’s intra-city mass transit bus service, serving commuters within the Jos metropolis.

To ease the start of the enforcement, the management said a limited number of face masks would be provided at designated boarding points.

However, it advised commuters to bring their own masks, noting that the available supplies might not be sufficient for everyone.

Also, the management of the Plateau State Polytechnic has imposed a no-face-mask, no-entry policy at the polytechnic as a measure to contain the disease.

Students who came to the Jos and Barkin Ladi campus without a nose mask were turned back by security personnel at the gate

“We’ve had 53 suspected cases in 2026. Of those, we’ve only been able to confirm six by laboratory diagnosis, and we’ve managed those six properly,” Abayomi said. “We have done contact tracing to identify people they have been in touch with so we can recruit them into observation and determine if they develop diphtheria through the incubation period.”

The commissioner announced the launch of a public awareness campaign in Lagos, citing data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) showing outbreaks in northern states, including Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Benue and Zamfara.

“We’re watching this outbreak expand, and we are cautious in Lagos, as always. The executive council likes to lean on the side of caution and increase our prevention strategies,” he said.

Abayomi warned that travel between Lagos and affected states could bring infections into the city. He outlined typical symptoms of diphtheria, including severe sore throat, swelling of the neck, difficulty breathing, and abnormal heartbeat.

“Diphtheria typically causes a very severe sore throat. The back of your throat will be inflamed with a whitish-grey blanket. The bacteria produce a toxin that leaks into your blood and can target your heart,” he explained.

He said the disease can block the airway and cause heart failure if undiagnosed. “If unrecognised, diphtheria can result in airway obstruction and inflammation of the heart,” Abayomi added.

The commissioner emphasised vaccination as the main prevention strategy. “Every child born in Nigeria should have three doses of the pentavalent vaccine before the age of one. If you’ve not been vaccinated, you are extremely vulnerable,” he said, noting that 68 per cent of cases in northern states were among children and young adults without adequate immunisation.

“Treatment is effective if diagnosed early, combining antibiotics with a neutralising drug to counter the toxin.”

He urged Lagos residents to remain calm, stressing there is no outbreak in the state, but precautionary measures are necessary.

“Lagos is heavily populated, so community transmission is possible if infection enters the city,” Abayomi said. He advised residents to check their vaccination records and update them if incomplete.

“If you’ve received three doses, you’re fine. If you’ve received two, one, or none, you are vulnerable and should present yourself to our facilities to complete your vaccination schedule.”

He urged anyone with symptoms such as fever, sore throat, neck swelling, breathing difficulty, weakness, or irregular heartbeat to seek immediate medical attention at primary health centres or hospitals.

He disclosed that Lagos currently has about 64 per cent full vaccination coverage, with some children either partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, and called on parents to check their children’s immunisation records and complete any outstanding doses.

Abayomi said Lagos has more than 1,000 healthcare facilities offering routine immunisation services across the public and private sectors, adding that vaccines are available free at government health facilities.

He listed the four designated facilities for the management of suspected diphtheria cases as the Mainland Hospital (formerly Infectious Disease Hospital), Yaba; Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos Island; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

The Commissioner also stressed the importance of respiratory hygiene, including covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, frequent handwashing and avoiding close contact with others when experiencing respiratory symptoms.

With schools expected to reopen soon, Abayomi said the Ministry was working closely with the education sector to strengthen awareness and vaccination among schoolchildren, adding that suspected cases in schools would trigger appropriate contact tracing and infection-control measures.