The Lagos State government has confirmed an outbreak of diphtheria at the King’s College, Victoria Island Annexe, resulting in the death of a 12-year-old student and the hospitalisation of 14 others.
Authorities have identified 34 close contacts of the deceased, placing them under observation to monitor for symptoms of the bacterial infection.
In response to the outbreak, the Lagos State government has activated an Emergency Response Committee and announced plans to commence mass vaccination of schoolchildren on Monday.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that the situation was under control.
According to Abayomi, the index case was a 12-year-old boy who presented with a sore throat and fever at the school’s health facility on February 22.
He was immediately referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where he was admitted to the pediatric emergency ward.
Despite receiving appropriate antibiotics and a full dose of diphtheria toxoid serum, the student succumbed to myocarditis, a severe and recognised complication of the infection, on March 6.
“Despite the timely intervention, the boy succumbed to progressive and irreversible inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), caused by the bacterial toxin,” Abayomi stated.
Of the 34 identified close contacts, 14 students have developed symptoms consistent with diphtheria and were promptly transferred to LUTH’s Children’s Emergency Unit for screening.
Medical examinations confirmed that 12 of them had early signs of the disease, and they were immediately placed on treatment, receiving antibiotics and diphtheria antitoxin serum.
As of now, no new cases had emerged, and all 14 symptomatic students were reported to be recovering under close medical supervision.
Abayomi explained that a preliminary inspection of King’s College Annexe by health officials uncovered areas where infection prevention and control (IPC) measures needed to be improved and that process would commence immediately.
The Lagos State government, in collaboration with federal health agencies, is set to launch a targeted vaccination campaign for all consenting students at both the Victoria Island annex and the main school in Igbosere, along with healthcare providers, to bolster immunity against the deadly infection.
The campaign may be expanded statewide.
To enhance public awareness, information leaflets outlining diphtheria symptoms, prevention, and early treatment are being distributed across all healthcare facilities in Lagos.
Additionally, the state government is preparing a public health announcement to alert residents to the outbreak, urging vigilance for symptoms such as sore throat, fever, breathing difficulties, and swollen neck glands.
Health authorities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), have been notified and are working closely with Lagos State to coordinate an effective response.
Lagos has nearly 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccine in stock, which will be strategically deployed to high-risk areas as part of the emergency response.
The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will hold daily meetings to assess the evolving situation and guide policy decisions.
Future discussions will include the Ministry of Basic and Tertiary Education and other stakeholders to strengthen inter-sectoral coordination in managing the outbreak.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, urged Lagos residents to prioritise good hygiene, avoid crowded places, and seek immediate medical attention if they experience diphtheria-like symptoms.
“Early detection and treatment can save lives. Let’s work together to curb this outbreak and protect our communities,” he said.
Reassuring the public, Abayomi stated, “The outbreak is under control, and there is no need to panic. We remain committed to ongoing measures to safeguard residents from infectious diseases.”