Taraba State has recorded its first confirmed case of diphtheria, resulting in the death of a patient in Bali Local Government Area and prompting health authorities to activate an emergency public health surveillance response. The State Epidemiologist, Dr Udi Aketemo, confirmed the fatality to newsmen in a telephone interview, saying the patient died from the acute bacterial infection before comprehensive clinical management could be administered. Aketemo explained that the state initially faced challenges due to the absence of dedicated local diagnostic infrastructure. However, he said testing capacity had now been restored following the deployment of specialised laboratory kits and equipment to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo.
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