What We Know About the Diphtheria Outbreak in Plateau State

The Plateau State Government has ordered the temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools from Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, as health authorities intensify efforts to contain an escalating diphtheria outbreak that has left at least 23 people dead with 143 suspected cases.

The directive, announced on Saturday, Sept. 5, by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, comes days after reports of suspected diphtheria cases in Jos North, Wase, Jos South, and Bassa Local Government Areas.

Schools that had already resumed academic activities have also been ordered to close and remain shut until further notice. The government directed proprietors, administrators, teachers, parents, and guardians to comply with the order and keep pupils and students at home.

How the Outbreak Emerged

The first public reports of the current outbreak emerged at the end of August, when residents in Jos began reporting deaths suspected to be linked to diphtheria.

On August 30, a resident of Jos reported that two grandchildren, aged between 12 and 17, had died within a week after developing symptoms suspected to be associated with the disease. The account was one of the earliest public reports drawing attention to the outbreak in Plateau.

By Sept. 1, Baks Bulus, the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer for Jos North, told journalists that 117 people were suspected to have contracted diphtheria in several communities in the local government area, while 15 people had died. Bulus said the 15 deaths had occurred within just three days, warning that the number of cases could increase if urgent measures were not taken.

The deaths included the two siblings whose family had spoken publicly about their loss. Health officials said the concentration of cases in Jos North was particularly concerning because diphtheria can spread through close contact and respiratory droplets.

From 117 Cases to 143

Later on Sept. 1, the Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong said the state had recorded 143 suspected cases and 23 deaths over the preceding two weeks, meaning the figures had risen from the 117 suspected cases and 15 deaths reported earlier by the Jos North health authorities. Nine patients were receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos, where suspected cases were being isolated.

The difference between the two sets of figures is important. The earlier figures of 117 cases and 15 deaths related specifically to information gathered by health authorities in Jos North, while the later figures from the Commissioner for Health represented the wider state situation, which authorities say has affected other local government areas like Bassa, Jos South, and Wase. 

This means the numbers should not be read as two separate outbreaks. Rather, they reflect an expanding picture of the same health emergency as surveillance data from communities and health facilities were consolidated.

Local authorities say the outbreak is concentrated in Rikkos, a densely populated community in Jos North Local Government Area. The concentration of cases in the community has heightened concern about transmission because people live in close proximity, while health officials have warned that diphtheria can spread through close contact, coughing, sneezing, and sharing household items.

The rapid increase in reported deaths has also raised questions about vaccination coverage, access to early treatment, and the ability of the health system to detect and confirm cases quickly.

One of the biggest challenges facing the response is laboratory confirmation. Baamlong said the state had experienced difficulties obtaining the specialised containers required to collect and transport samples for testing. As a result, not every person classified as a suspected case has necessarily been laboratory-confirmed as having diphtheria.

This distinction matters because suspected cases are identified based on clinical and epidemiological information, while laboratory testing provides confirmation.

The shortage of the required sampling materials therefore creates an information gap at precisely the point when health authorities need reliable data to understand the extent of transmission.

The state has consequently been seeking support to obtain the materials needed to collect and transport samples for laboratory confirmation.

Access to diphtheria antitoxin (DAT) has emerged as another major problem. Baamlong identified the shortage of antitoxin as one of the main challenges confronting the state’s response. He also said many patients were presenting late for treatment.

Diphtheria produces a toxin that can cause severe complications and death. Antitoxin is therefore an important component of treatment because it neutralises the toxin produced by the bacteria. Late presentation can make treatment considerably more difficult, particularly when patients have already developed serious complications.

The state has consequently urged residents to seek medical attention as soon as they develop symptoms that could indicate diphtheria.

What Is Diphtheria?

Diphtheria is a serious and potentially life-threatening bacterial infection caused mainly by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It primarily affects the throat and upper airways and can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing, as well as through close contact with an infected person. The infection can produce a toxin that damages the respiratory system and, in severe cases, affects the heart, nerves, and other organs. Common symptoms include sore throat, fever, weakness, swollen glands in the neck, and difficulty breathing or swallowing.

Diphtheria is vaccine-preventable, and routine childhood immunisation remains the most effective way to protect individuals and communities against the disease. People who are unvaccinated or have not completed the recommended vaccination schedule face a higher risk of infection and severe illness. While vaccination has significantly reduced diphtheria in many parts of the world, outbreaks can occur when immunisation coverage falls and large numbers of children remain unprotected. This makes early detection, prompt treatment, contact tracing, and maintaining high vaccination coverage critical to containing outbreaks.