Nigeria confirms diphtheria outbreak; 25 dead in one state

By IBRAHIM GARBA and CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

KANO, Nigeria (AP) — Health authorities in Nigeria have confirmed an outbreak of diphtheria, with 25 people mostly children killed in the northcentral Kano state alone. It is still unknown the total number of confirmed cases or deaths related to the disease across Nigeria but authorities in Kano said more than 70 suspected cases have been recorded in the state. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has initiated an emergency response to the outbreak and is monitoring the situation in four of the nation’s 36 states, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, the agency head, said in a statement on Friday.