By Alade Adisa
Anxiety has gripped parents of students at King’s College, Lagos, following an outbreak of diphtheria in the school. Some parents have asked their children to stay at home after one of the students succumbed to the illness.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government is set to commence mass vaccination for students on both campuses of the school.
New Daily Prime gathered that the outbreak may be linked to overcrowded classrooms, cramped hostels, and unsanitary conditions in the college.
The Director of Public Affairs at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, confirmed in a telephone conversation that one student had died.
In response, LASG has activated an Emergency Response Committee and plans to begin mass vaccination of students today.
In a press statement, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, appealed for calm, assuring Lagosians that there is no cause for alarm.
He explained that an Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) had already been activated to contain the outbreak and prevent further fatalities.
According to Abayomi, the index case, a 12-year-old boy, presented with a sore throat and fever at the school’s health facility on February 22. He was promptly referred to and admitted to the paediatric emergency ward at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where he was administered appropriate antibiotics and a full dose of diphtheria antitoxin serum.
He said:
“Despite timely intervention, the boy succumbed to progressive and irreversible inflammation of the heart (myocarditis) on March 6. Myocarditis is a severe and well-documented complication of the bacterial infection caused by the diphtheria toxin.”
Abayomi disclosed that 34 close contacts of the deceased student were already under observation for symptoms.
“Of these, 14 have developed symptoms consistent with diphtheria. In response, the affected students were transported to the Children’s Emergency Unit at LUTH, where they were screened by health professionals.”
Of the 14 examined, 12 were found to have early signs of diphtheria and were admitted to receive antibiotics and the diphtheria antitoxin serum. No new cases have emerged so far, and all 14 symptomatic students are recovering.
Abayomi noted that a preliminary inspection of King’s College Annexe by health officials revealed areas where infection prevention and control (IPC) measures need improvement, and immediate action will be taken.
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