Kaduna State government, yesterday, said it had recorded 68 suspected cases and eight deaths from diphtheria in the state.

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat.

Director of Public Health, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Hamza Ibrahim-Ikara, who disclosed this in Kaduna, said the suspected cases were from four local government areas of the state, which included Makarfi, Kubau, Jema'a (Kafanchan) and Kaduna North.

According to him, five of the fatalities were from Jema'a and three from Makarfi, saying: "We still have one suspected case in Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital."

The director said 28 samples had been taken to the laboratory and was awaiting the results, noting: "For now, they are all suspected cases, no confirmation yet until the results are out."

Ibrahim-Ikara informed that contact tracing and active search were also ongoing to curb transmission, saying the Rapid Response Team was carrying out media and door-to-door sensitisation campaigns in communities.

He urged residents to report suspected cases to the nearest health facilities across the state, adding that the state government was prioritising routine immunisation to ensure all children were fully vaccinated against the disease.