The Federal capital territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday announced that diphtheria, a serious and very contagious disease has broken out in Abuja. it has claimed one already
The announcement was made at a press conference addressed by the director of public health, Dr. sadiq Abdulrahman.
He called on the residents of the FCT to immediately take the vaccine (pentavalent vaccine) to break the spread of the disease which he explained is an infection of the nose and throat that’s easily preventable by the vaccine.
A patient with diphtheria experiences a sheet of thick, gray matter covering the back of the throat, making breathing hard. The spread of the disease is by airborne respiratory droplets (cough or sneeze), saliva (kissing or shared drinks).
Abdulrahman further explained that a four-year-old has died in Deidei District of FCT out of the four cases recorded.
He cautioned residents on personal hygiene, advising them to report any strange symptoms, especially relating to their respiratory health.