4 siblings die from suspected diphtheria
A family in Kano State’s Hotoron Yan Dodo community is mourning the tragic loss of four of their five children to a strange illness within a two-week period. The children’s father, Malam Yusuf Maitama, shared the devastating story of how the siblings fell ill one after the other.
Maitama described the symptoms, fever, sore throat, nasal discharge, and a white membrane in the throat—which were later confirmed by doctors to be classic signs of diphtheria.
The youngest child, a girl under five, was the first to fall ill. “She woke up with a fever, sore throat, catarrh, and a visible white substance in her throat,” Malam Yusuf said. After attempting to treat her at home, the family rushed her to the hospital, but she tragically died the same day.
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Days later, her seven-year-old sister showed the same symptoms and passed away within two days of being hospitalized. “That was the second child in one week,” the grieving father explained.
“At first, people even suggested maybe it was spiritual. But doctors confirmed it was diphtheria. That’s when I realised the rest of my kids were at serious risk.”
Maitama’s three remaining children were also infected. Two of them died, leaving only the eldest daughter, who survived after receiving urgent medical care. The third victim’s death was particularly painful.
“The third victim passed away seven days after her sisters. She had already been admitted to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where doctors said one of her kidneys was failing,” he said.
“But due to a lack of available hospital beds, we had to take her home temporarily. She died that very night.”
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