WATCH THE VIDEO HERE A deadly outbreak of diphtheria has struck the Mbutu community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, resulting in the loss of several young lives within the span of a week. Confirming the outbreak, the Chairman of Aboh Mbaise LGA, Iheukwumere Alaribe, issued a statement announcing the immediate closure of all nursery, primary, and secondary schools in Mbutu as a containment measure to curb further spread of the disease. Health authorities have swiftly mobilized in response. Teams from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Imo State Ministry of Health’s Disease Prevention and Control Department, and the Aboh Mbaise Health Authority are coordinating efforts on the ground. An isolation center has been established at the Mbutu Health Centre, and medical staff have been deployed to monitor and quarantine affected or at-risk children. Alaribe urged parents to prioritize immediate vaccination of their children, stressing that immunisation remains the most effective protection against diphtheria and other infectious diseases. The Imo State Government has called for calm and assured residents that it will provide continuous updates as efforts to contain the outbreak progress. The public has also been asked to cooperate fully with health officials.
IMO: Diphtheria outbreak claims lives, schools ordered shut
