HEALTH: DIPHTHERIA OUTBREAK KILLS 58 IN GUINEA
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Agency Report
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced in a statement issued on Thursday that 58 individuals, many of them little children, had died as a result of a diphtheria outbreak in northeastern Guinea.
Five to ten percent of cases of the extremely contagious respiratory illness can be fatal, and the number is significantly higher in youngsters.
Since July, the WHO has recorded well over 500 probable cases, mostly in the Siguiri prefecture. Usually, fever and a sore throat are the first signs to appear.
According to the WHO, Guinea’s health facilities are ill-equipped to handle the outbreak, and the country’s vaccination rate against diphtheria has been below 50% since 2014.
A coverage rate of 80–85% is required to keep the population safe against diphtheria.
AFP
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