Schools in the Mbutu Community, which is in the Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State, have been forced to close immediately due to a diphtheria outbreak that has killed several children.
In a statement issued on May 26, 2025, Iheukwumere Alaribe, the Chairman of Aboh Mbaise LGA, affirmed this circumstance.
However, at the time this report was filed, it was not possible to confirm the exact number of fatalities.
According to reports, the highly contagious disease known as diphtheria, which is brought on by the toxin-producing bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae, mainly affects the throat and nasal passages but can also damage the skin.
The disease is spread by direct contact with sick people or contaminated surfaces, as well as respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing.
Since the outbreak, the local administration has taken swift action to stop the spread of the disease.
Mbutu’s schools have been temporarily closed, and parents are being asked to keep their kids inside.
Less than a week after the epidemic, the youngsters died from diphtheria.
The chairman said that the Imo State Ministry of Health’s Department of Disease Prevention and Control, the World Health Organization (WHO), and medical personnel from Aboh Mbaise LGA were putting in a lot of effort to look into and control the outbreak.
According to Godspower Dike, the chairman’s spokesperson, “An isolation center has been established at Mbutu Health Centre, with health workers deployed to quarantine children who may have been exposed to the disease and to provide care for affected families.”
Alaribe also exhorted parents to vaccinate their children immediately.
Parents who have not yet vaccinated their children are urgently encouraged to do so right away in light of this outbreak.
“Vaccines are essential for stopping the spread of diseases and safeguarding the health of our children,” he said.
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Dike, the chairman’s spokesperson, urged everyone to maintain composure and assist medical professionals.
As we attempt to contain this outbreak, we urge the people to maintain their composure and assist with the appropriate authorities. As more details become available, updates will be given,” he continued.
The disease killed two children in the Tukur-Tukur hamlet in Zaria, Kaduna State, during the first week of May.
It is possible to prevent diphtheria by getting vaccinated.
Health experts have emphasized the need of routine vaccinations in protecting children from diseases like diphtheria that can be prevented.
Out of 42,642 suspected cases, Nigeria has recorded 25,812 confirmed cases of diphtheria in 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and 350 local government units. Of these, 184 LGAs in 26 states had confirmed cases.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent situation report, which covers the period from week 19 of 2022 to week 10 of 2025, the outbreak had killed 1,319 people as of March 9, 2025.
