Some lives are said to have been lost following a sudden outbreak of diphtheria in the Mbutu Community of the Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State.
The LG boss Iheukwumere Alaribe, in a press statement, confirmed the tragic development, noting that the outbreak has claimed the lives of multiple children within just a week.
As part of urgent containment efforts, the chairman ordered the immediate closure of all nursery, primary, and secondary schools in Mbutu to halt further spread.
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He also disclosed that health officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Imo State Ministry of Health’s Department of Disease Prevention and Control, and the Aboh Mbaise Health Authority have launched a coordinated response, adding that an isolation centre has been set up at the Mbutu Health Centre, with health personnel deployed to quarantine affected or at-risk children.
The LG chairman urged parents in the community to vaccinate their children immediately, as immunisation remained the most effective safeguard against diphtheria and related infections.
While urging residents to remain calm, the state government has promised regular updates and called for public cooperation as efforts continue to bring the situation under control.
