Diphtheria k!lls four siblings within two weeks in Kano

A family in the Hotoron Yan Dodo community in Kano State has been struck by a devastating tragedy after four of their five children d!ed from diphtheria outbreak within just two weeks. 

Recounting the harrowing ordeal, the children’s father, Malam Yusuf Maitama, explained how his children fell ill one after the other.

The symptoms including fever, sore throat, nasal discharge, and the appearance of a white membrane in the throat, were classic signs of diphtheria, though the family did not initially recognise the deadly disease.

The first to fall ill was the youngest, a girl under five years old. 

“She woke up with a fever, sore throat, catarrh, and a visible white substance in her throat,” Malam Yusuf said.

The family tried to manage her condition at home, but as she weakened, they rushed her to the hospital. Sadly, she passed away the same day.

Just days later, her seven-year-old sister showed similar symptoms and also d!ed within two days of being hospitalized.

“That was the second child in one week,” the grieving father explained. 

“At first, people even suggested maybe it was spiritual. But doctors confirmed it was diphtheria. That’s when I realized the rest of my kids were at serious risk.”

Malam Yusuf’s three remaining children were all tested and found to be infected. 

Two of them also succumbed to the disease, leaving only the eldest daughter, who survived after receiving urgent medical attention.

The father described the particularly painful loss of the third victim. 

“The third victim passed away seven days after her sisters. She had already been admitted to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where doctors said one of her kidneys was failing,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

“But due to a lack of available hospital beds, we had to take her home temporarily. She d!ed that very night.”