Jigawa intensifies surveillance over diphtheria after recording 4 cases
By Ali Baba-Inuwa
The Federal Medical Center, Birnin Kudu in Jigawa State, has strengthened its surveillance over diphtheria, after it recorded four cases at the facility.
The Deputy Head of Clinical Services at the FMC, Birnin Kudu, Dr Yunus Mohammed Eze, said this when he spoke with newsmen on Friday in Birnin Kudu.
Eze said that four patients were admitted at the hospital’s isolation unit for supportive treatment.
He said three of them survived and were discharged after treatment, while the fourth died.
Eze added that the hospital had to strengthened its surveillance system to prevent further spread of the disease.
Eze said health workers who treated the patients were also being closely monitored for symptoms.
“We have put surveillance measures in place to monitor those who provided care to the four identified cases so that if anyone develops symptoms, they can report early,” he said.
He said that isolation and contact tracing were important to curtail the spread of the disease in the hospital and surrounding communities.
“Isolation and contact tracing are also important measures to ensure that the spread of diphtheria is curtailed within the hospital and surrounding communities,” he added.
He also advised parents against dismissing symptoms of illness in their children and urged them to seek prompt medical attention at recognised health facilities.
Eze cautioned residents against overcrowded environments urging them to ensure adequate ventilation in their homes, particularly with the approaching harmattan season.
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