Abstract
SUMMARY A diphtheria outbreak occurred from February to November 2011 in the village of Kimba and its surrounding settlements, in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. We conducted a retrospective outbreak investigation in Kimba village and the surrounding settlements to better describe the extent and clinical characteristics of this outbreak. Ninety-eight cases met the criteria of the case definition of diphtheria, 63 (64.3%) of whom were children aged <10 years; 98% of cases had never been immunized against diphtheria. None of the 98 cases received diphtheria antitoxin, penicillin, or erythromycin during their illness. The overall case-fatality ratio was 21.4%, and was highest in children aged 0-4 years (42.9%). Low rates of immunization, delayed clinical recognition of diphtheria and absence of treatment with antitoxin and appropriate antibiotics contributed to this epidemic and its severity.
Highlights
Retrospective household survey was conducted in Kimba village during 9–12 December 2011
Village elders identified 38 households in which at least one person had suffered the symptoms listed in the case definitions
Initial screening at the households identified 220 individuals suffering from symptoms suspicious for diphtheria during the recall period
Summary
The survey was conducted in the village of Kimba, a municipality of Biu Local Government Area, and seven surrounding settlements located within a 5 km radius of the village of Kimba. Different case-finding methodologies were used in Kimba and its surrounding settlements. Retrospective household survey was conducted in Kimba village during 9–12 December 2011. The initial screening consisted of asking the respondent whether, at any time between February 2011 and the day of the survey, any household member had developed any of the following signs or symptoms: fever, sore throat, swollen neck, difficulty breathing, drooling saliva and/or whitish membrane of the tonsil. For each individual with a positive initial screening, we collected additional information, including demographic data, detailed symptoms, time-course of the illness, type of treatment received, laboratory results, immunization status and patient outcomes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
