Between 1 January and 27 March, Lagos State recorded 10 confirmed cases of diphtheria, a serious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, which produces a toxin responsible for severe complications.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi disclosed this in a statement signed on 30 March by the Director of Public Affairs in the Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo.
According to the statement, laboratory tests conducted on 76 samples confirmed 10 positive cases, while 63 samples returned negative.
Prof. Abayomi noted that suspected cases fluctuated over the period, with some days recording as many as 15 cases and others as few as one.
He added that results of another three samples collected on 26 March are still pending.
Outbreak patterns
Prof. Abayomi stated that data analysis of the outbreak report shows that cases peaked in the third, fourth, and tenth weeks of 2025, with four cases confirmed each week.
However, he noted that a recent decline in cases suggests that containment measures may be yielding positive results.
Affected locations
The Commissioner revealed that the diphtheria outbreak has spread across multiple Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, with Eti-Osa being the most affected, recording 44 suspected cases.
Other impacted LGAs where various numbers of suspected and confirmed cases have been identified include: Alimosho, Badagry, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Ojo, Mushin, and Lagos Island.
According to Abayomi, confirmed cases have been traced to specific locations including: King’s College in Eti-Osa LGA, Lagos State Model School, Meran in Alimosho LGA, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Mushin, De-Emmaculate School, Mile 12 in Kosofe LGA, and Gbara Junior Secondary School in Eti-Osa LGA.
These areas, he said, remain focal points for intensified interventions, including targeted vaccination campaigns and public awareness efforts.
He mandated all confirmed cases to remain on admission for treatment in the interest of public safety while he urged the public to cooperate with health authorities, noting that this measure is essential to prevent further transmission of the disease.
State’s response
The Lagos state government said it has intensified contact tracing efforts, identifying 118 potential contacts of infected persons. Of these, follow-up has been completed for 100 individuals, with 18 still pending while 36 individuals across affected LGAs have received prophylaxis to prevent further spread.
Additionally, 21 individuals have received Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT) treatment, with King’s College, Eti-Osa, accounting for 14 cases, the highest number of recipients.
Other beneficiaries were from Lagos State Model School, Meiran, and various locations in Alimosho, Kosofe, and Badagry.
Prof. Abayomi disclosed that vaccination efforts targeting close contacts of index cases, suspected patients, and frontline health workers remain ongoing. He noted that so far, 36,310 individuals including healthcare workers and individuals aged nine years and above have been vaccinated.
He added that risk communication and public health sensitisation have been reinforced through community-based social mobilisation and media campaigns to curb the spread of diphtheria.
Public health advisory during festivities, holiday
As Muslims in Lagos celebrate Eid-el-Fitr and ahead of Easter celebrations, and the second-term school vacation, the Commissioner urged strict adherence to precautionary measures.
He advised the public to maintain high levels of hygiene, wash their hands regularly, use sanitisers, and avoid crowded places.
He also emphasised the need for prompt reporting of symptoms such as cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, red eyes, neck swelling, and thick grey or white patches on the throat.
“Reporting these symptoms immediately can save lives and prevent further transmission of diphtheria,” Prof. Abayomi emphasised, adding that treatment for suspected cases is available free of charge at designated government health facilities.
Government, stakeholder support
While commending Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his swift and strategic intervention in containing the outbreak, Prof. Abayomi acknowledged the support of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), World Health Organisation (WHO), and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in providing technical assistance and resources to combat the disease.
He assured Lagosians of intensified surveillance, treatment, and prevention efforts. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide regular updates. Residents are advised to stay informed and adhere to all public health advisories,” he stated.
About Diphtheria
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes diphtheria as a disease caused by a bacterium that affects the upper respiratory tract and, less often, the skin. It produces a toxin that damages the heart and the nerves.
Diphtheria is a vaccine preventable disease, but multiple doses and booster shots are required to produce and sustain immunity. Those who are not immunised or under-immunised are at greater risk of the disease.
WHO states that symptoms of diphtheria usually begin two to five days after exposure to the bacteria. Typical symptoms of the infection include a sore throat, fever, swollen neck glands and weakness.
Within two to three days from infection, the dead tissue in the respiratory tract forms a thick, grey coating that can cover tissues in the nose, tonsils and throat, making it hard to breathe and swallow.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) latest weekly situation report reveals that as of 16 March (Epi – week 11, 2025), a total of 16 suspected cases were reported from two states across four LGAs.
Of the 16 suspected cases reported, three (18.8 per cent) were confirmed cases distributed across three LGAs in one state, 10 (62.5 per cent) are pending classification while the remaining three (18.8 per cent) were unknown. According to the update, one death was recorded among the confirmed cases.
Cumulatively, between epidemiological week 19, 2022 and week 11 of 2025, a total of 42,805 suspected cases were reported from 37 states across 351 LGAs. Of the 42,805 suspected cases reported, 25,977 were confirmed cases, distributed across 187 LGAs in 26 states.
Majority 16,579 of the confirmed cases were among children aged one – 14 years while a total of 1331 deaths were recorded among confirmed cases.
