Yobe Records 511 Diphtheria Cases, 13 Deaths Since January

Yobe State has recorded 511 diphtheria cases and 13 deaths between January and September 8, according to state health authorities.

Health Commissioner Muhammad Gana gave the figures in Damaturu. He said the deaths represented a 2.5 per cent case fatality rate and that the outbreak had affected 12 local government areas.

The state said vaccination plans were already under way in the affected areas. Gana also said the current figure was lower than the 1,100 cases recorded around the same period in 2025.

The fresh numbers show that diphtheria remains a live public-health threat in the North-East even as states push vaccination and surveillance. Diphtheria is vaccine-preventable, but outbreaks can spread where immunisation coverage is low or delayed.

Health authorities have repeatedly urged parents and caregivers to ensure children receive routine vaccines and to report symptoms early. The Yobe figures add to wider national concern after outbreaks were reported in several states this year.

Sources: Daily Trust, Premium Times