Senegal’s Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene has confirmed 114 diphtheria cases and 11 deaths across 31 health districts, marking a significant geographic expansion of the bacterial outbreak.
Epidemiological tracking places the primary epicenter in the southeastern Kédougou region with 33 confirmed cases, followed by Louga with 16 cases, Dakar with 15, Diourbel with 13, and Thiès with 12, alongside smaller cluster counts spread across seven additional administrative regions.
In response to active bacterial transmission, public health officials are urging parents to review routine immunization schedules under the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) to ensure children receive missing vaccine doses. Health authorities advise immediate medical evaluation at designated health centers upon early symptoms—such as sore throat, fever, neck swelling, and characteristic pseudomembranous throat coverage—while establishing toll-free hotlines to coordinate emergency triage and limit self-medication risks.
TE/Sf/lb/abj/APA