Kaduna state ministry of health for northwest Nigeria don confam di outbreak of Diptheria afta some pipo die for Kafanchan town inside di state.
According to di ministry na on Thursday dem receive report say some pipo inside Kafanchan dey exhibit all di symptoms associated wit Diptheria wey include high fever, sore throat, cough and neck swelling.
Oga Najib Muazu na councillor of Kafanchan B wey witness di outbreak on Thursday and e tell BBC News Pidgin say over 10 pipo don die so far.
"So di disease dey go on for sometime but we no know or understand wetin dey happun until now.
"So far over 10 pipo don die in di last couple of days and even yesterday we bury two pipo over di illness."
Di councillor say all di schools and market across di town dey closed since Thursday for fear of di disease spreading.
"As I dey tok to you e get some experts from di Federal Ministry of Health for Abuja wey dey on dia way to Kafanchan over dis mata."
"Dem bin first ask for blood sample afta di state ministry pipo first come and we don send dat one since."
Kaduna ministry of health for statement tok say di govnor Uba Sani dey concerned about wetin dey happun and don ask di ministry to do evri tin to control di situation.
Di ministry emergency unit don dey Kafanchan since Thursday and dey move around dey advise pipo to stay away from di sick, cover mouth wen sneezing or coughing and to stay active to boost immunity.
What is Diptheria?
Diphtheria na one serious bacterial infection wey dey affect di mucous membranes of di nose and throat.
Diphtheria fit dey treated wit medicine. But if e don enter advance stage, e fit damage di heart, kidneys and nervous system. Even wit treatment, diphtheria fit dey deadly, especially for pikin dem.
Signs of diphtheria
Diphtheria signs and symptoms usually start from two to five days afta pesin dey infected. Signs and symptoms fit include:
One thick, gray membrane wey cover di throat and tonsils
For some pipo, infection wit bacteria wey dey cause diphtheria dey only cause sickness wey no too serious— or make pesin no see any signs and symptoms at all. Pipo wey dey Infected wey no sabi say dem sick dey known as carriers of diphtheria.
Dem dey call carriers sake of say dem fit spread di infection without any sickness themselves.
Skin (cutaneous) diphtheria
Dis na di second type of diphtheria wey fit affect di skin.
E dey cause pain, redness and swelling wey similar to oda bacterial skin infections.
Ulcer gray membrane cover also fit be sign of skin diphtheria.
Although e dey more common for tropical. And e fit happun especially among pipo wey get poor hygiene and dey live for crowded conditions.
Wen you fit see doctor, make you go see doctor shaparly if you or your pikin don dey exposed to pesin wey get diphtheria.
Causes of Diphtheria
Diphtheria dey happun through one bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Di bacterium dey multiply for near di surface of di throat or skin. Diphtheriae dey spread through:
Airborne droplet, wen pesin wey dey infected sneeze or cough and release mist of droplet wey dey contaminated pipo wey dey near fit inhale diphtheriae. Diphtheria dey spread easily dis way, especially for place wey dey crowded.
Contaminated pesin or house items, sometimes pipo dey catch diphtheria wen touch infected pesin tins, like used tissues or hand towels, wey fit dey contaminated wit di bacteria.
To touch infected pesin wound also fit transfer diphtheria-causing bacteria.
Risk
Pipo wey dey at increased risk to catch diphtheria include:
Children and adults
Pipo wey dey live for crowded or dirty conditions
Anyone wey travel to area wia diphtheria infections dey more common
Problem of Diphtheria
If you no treat am, diphtheria fit lead to:
Breathing problems. Bacteria wey dey cause Diphtheria fit produce toxin wey go damage tissue for di immediate area of infection — usually, di nose and throat. And dat one dey block breathing.
Heart damage. Diphtheria toxin fit spread through di bloodstream and damage oda tissues for di body.
For example, e fit damage di heart muscle, cause complications as inflammation of di heart muscle (myocarditis).
Heart damage from myocarditis fit dey slight or severe. At worst, myocarditis fit lead to heart failure and sudden death.
Nerve damage
Di toxin fit also cause nerve damage. Targets na throat nerves, wia poor nerve conduction fit make am difficult to swallow.
Nerves to di arms and legs also fit dey inflamed, and cause muscle weakness.
Wit treatment, most pipo wey get diphtheria dey survive dis complications, but recovery often dey slow.
Diphtheria dey fatal about 5% to 10% of di time. Rates of death dey higher for children under age 5 or adults older dan age 40.
How to prevent Diphtheria
Before antibiotics dey available, diphtheria na one common sickness for young pikins.
Today, di disease no only dey treatable but also preventable wit vaccine.
