The diphtheria outbreak at King’s College VI Annexe, Lagos, has turned tragic with the death of a 12-year-old student, identified as the index case of the disease in the school.
According to reports received by BusinessDay, the student succumbed to complications on March 5, 2025, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) paediatric unit.
The student initially presented typical diphtheria symptoms, including sore throat and fever, on February 22. Despite receiving a full course of antibiotics and anti-toxoid treatment, he developed progressive and irreversible myocarditis, a severe complication of diphtheria, which ultimately led to his death.
Health authorities have intensified response efforts to contain the outbreak and are urging increased vaccination and heightened surveillance to prevent further fatalities.
The outbreak has prompted an urgent public health response, with 34 close contacts of the index case identified and monitored. Of these, 18 children are now showing apparent symptoms of diphtheria.
All affected students have been transported to the Children's Emergency Unit at LUTH, where they are currently being triaged.
To mitigate the spread and severity of the outbreak, 40 doses of Diphtheria Anti-Toxin (DAT) are available at LUTH for patients who test positive. Additionally, erythromycin tablets for prophylaxis have been made available at the school for high-risk students.