According to a UNILAG expert, low vaccination rates might lead to a lethal throat ailment.

Adebayo Onajole, a professor of community medicine and public health at the University of Lagos and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, instructs LARA ADEJORO on how to control and eradicate the dreadful diphtheria illness.

What is this diphtheria illness exactly?

A bacterial illness called diphtheria transmits from person to person by airborne droplets, or air. Since it often affects children under the age of five, most individuals get immune to it or are protected against it, either because they have already had a minor case of the virus or because they have been immunized. Since children get childhood immunizations, which include the diphtheria vaccine, there have been relatively few occurrences of diphtheria reported in the past.

It was once referred to as diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. There are now five vaccinations that are given to children, after the addition of two more. It is given to children at six, ten, and fourteen weeks of age. Most of the time, it provides lifetime protection, but if there is a resurgence of diphtheria, it is likely caused by low immunization coverage, meaning that the majority of people are either not properly immunized or the immunization given is ineffective to promote seroconversion and improved immunity.

The vaccinations may not have been effective for other reasons because of storage procedures or period of storage; all of these factors might have reduced their effectiveness.

What other mechanisms other air droplets may it travel through?

Air droplets are the sole known method of transmission, and one individual may transfer it to another. However, a number of variables, such as population, high temperatures, and the dry season, might speed up the spread. The proximity of a carrier to a potential victim might potentially be a significant wave-related component. A strong wave velocity may also carry the droplet across longer and greater distances than typical. Bacterial replication is also high when the temperature is high.

The majority of the symptoms you may experience when it happens are often characteristics of an upper respiratory tract infection.

If a sufferer coughs or sneezes into the air, a bystander may inhale it and get infected as a result. Therefore, the amount, frequency, and intensity of exposure as well as age all have a role in whether or not someone contracts an infection. The likelihood of getting it is higher in children than in adults.

Could the dry season or the high temperatures in Kano be to blame for the instances that have been reported there?

The cases in Kano have not been thoroughly explored, but they might be related to any of the causes I have listed, including lack of immunization or ineffective immunization. It could also be the consequence of weakened immunity, which can occur for a variety of causes.

A person’s immunity may be poor, making it easier for them to get exposed to and develop an illness.

Who may get the disease, and which age group is most vulnerable?

The majority of infected individuals are often youngsters under the age of five, which has led to a significant investment in immunization campaigns that the majority of people would have been exposed to, whether by vaccination or another method. Adults may sometimes also be exposed if, for whatever reason, their immunity is compromised.

What are the disease’s telltale signs and symptoms, and how soon after exposure do the strains begin to manifest?

The majority of the symptoms are upper respiratory infection symptoms, such as sneezing, coughing, and breathing difficulties. They may have an increase in temperature under some circumstances, but this is not often a sign of diphtheria. The indications and symptoms after exposure vary from person to person, but generally, it takes between five and 14 days to start recognizing them. Some people may experience it far sooner than that.

How dangerous and communicable is the illness?

Because the bacterium damages the lining of the respiratory system and may seal up the respiratory tract, making it difficult for the sufferer to breathe, it is a disease that may cause mortality, particularly when it produces respiratory distress or an inability to breathe effectively.

Overall, a victim’s reaction to an illness relies on their degree of immunity, their amount of exposure, and their capacity to get early treatment. As I said before, it is a bacterial illness, and as such, early detection and administration of antibiotics may prove to be quite beneficial.

Can a person get ill more than once?

Yes, but generally not. Because of this, if you get all three doses of the diphtheria vaccination as a kid, you are protected for life. However, as I said, other circumstances, such as a decline in immunity, may induce reinfection.

How can I tell if someone is sick?

Because the majority of the signs and symptoms are not typical and might occur with other respiratory tract infections, particularly illnesses that affect the upper respiratory tract, it is extremely difficult to diagnose. Therefore, one of those things is that we need to manage our air hygiene, which has to do with how we cough into the environment. We also need to avoid crowded environments because the closer someone is to the source of spread, the greater their risks of contracting the illness.

It is also advised that potential victims should call for assistance as soon as they begin to experience any of the above described signs and symptoms, particularly if they begin to experience respiratory difficulty. They will need assistance and whatever first aid that may be provided at the medical facility to provide antibiotics to the patient in question.

What is the disease’s suggested management and treatment?
Early diagnosis with a strong index of suspicion is the recommended course of action.

Most of the time, the diagnosis is more of a swap of microscopic culture and sensitivity. However, increasing the level of suspicion and receiving treatment quickly can significantly lessen or even eliminate the disease’s morbidity and death. Therefore, sufferers must see their primary care doctor as soon as possible.

When should vaccinations be used?

Especially when there is an epidemic in a region, the vaccine is administered as part of standard childhood immunizations to protect the kid against the plague. Around the area where the diagnosed case is located, immunization may be necessary. However, most often, the comeback is caused by a shift in the germs that cause the disease; in other words, if there is a new strain, but the sufferer still contracts the illness and survives it, they have a decent degree of immunity against it.

Is it necessary to impose travel restrictions now that there are instances in Lagos and Kano states and additional cases are being discovered in Osun and Yobe states?

No limit is necessary; however, avoiding a crowded area is preferable. If the source is located someplace with a high wave velocity, the wave may go farther.

Restrictions are not effective in controlling a diphtheria epidemic. The relevant healthcare personnel in such locations should be notified and effective surveillance procedures should be put in place to raise their level of suspicion and improve their management.

Is it necessary to revaccinate individuals now that there is a resurgence?

No and yes. Yes, because sometimes we need to do a quick poll to verify that those of us who believed we had had an immunization really do? Then, in places where cases have been identified, you must immunize people widely in the vicinity of the sources’ locations.
Do adults still need vaccinations?
Whenever and if you believe an outbreak has spread over that region.

What can Nigerian citizens and the appropriate government organizations do to stop the spread?

Increased monitoring is required, along with the use of early treatment strategies including post-assisted breathing that is suitable for the situation and antibiotics. Additionally, we must enhance our culture of air hygiene.

Is Nigeria equipped to control this outbreak?

No sickness is insurmountable; it only relies on the attitude of those who have it, the attitude of those who treat it, and the attitude of public health professionals and the government toward allocating funds to treat it.

The NCDC has been issuing notifications about these instances, and we also need to monitor our neighboring nations so that we can keep an eye on individuals who are entering our environment from other regions if there are cases there.