Hussaini Ibrahim 
KANO, Nigeria – The Kano State Centre for Disease Control has deployed a rapid response team to Rurum Ward in Rano Local Government Area following reports of suspected diphtheria cases.
The intervention aligns with directives from the Kano State House of Assembly, which called for independent verification of case numbers and the state’s response preparedness.
The Director-General of KNCDC, Professor Muhammad Adamu Abbas, represented by the Director of Disease Emergency Preparedness and Response, Dr Abdulwahab Kabir Sulaiman, led the exercise in collaboration with Local Government Disease Surveillance Officers and frontline health workers.
According to KNCDC Public Relations Officer Muhammad Dayyabu Ali, the visit was designed to strengthen evidence-based surveillance while ensuring community engagement remains central to outbreak control.
During facility assessments at Rano Emirate Special Hospital, the Diphtheria Response Centre, and the Primary Health Care Hospital, the team reviewed case management protocols and confirmed that no new deaths occurred beyond the four previously recorded.
Community leaders, including the District Head of Rurum, Alhaji Ado Yusif, expressed support for intensified awareness activities. The team also visited a family in Makara Huta where four children were previously lost to the disease.
Dr Sulaiman urged immediate medical attention for symptoms such as sore throat, fever, breathing difficulty, and swollen neck. “Traditional remedies could worsen the illness and delay treatment,” he warned.
He commended the Kano State Government and partners, including NCDC and WHO, for sustained outbreak response coordination.
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Juliet Jacob 
Koko Maxwella 
Otamere Gladness 