HIBAPRESS-Abdel Latif Baraka
Data circulating about suspected cases related to diphtheria, or what is generally known as (Khnaqia), in the province of Chtouka Ait Baha, specifically in the Ait Amira region, has raised a state of health alertness, following the death of two siblings. However, the final medical relationship between the deaths and this disease has not yet been definitively established.
In contrast, the Mohammed VI University Hospital Center in Agadir categorically denied the registration of any diphtheria outbreak within the institution or any related deaths, emphasizing that its various departments are operating under normal conditions. Information also indicates that all medical and nursing staff have been vaccinated against this disease.
According to health data reported by Channel Two, health and educational services in Chtouka Ait Baha have initiated preventive measures that include enhancing awareness and catching up on vaccinations within educational institutions, with the intervention being expanded to include institutions and communities in the province.
The same data indicated that some children involved in the cases, according to preliminary information, had not benefited from the vaccination specific to the disease, while stressing that a definitive conclusion on the relationship between vaccination status and deaths remains contingent on the results of final medical examinations.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that can affect the respiratory system, and it is primarily transmitted through droplets from coughing and sneezing and respiratory secretions. It can also be transmitted through direct contact or by touching the secretions of an infected person.
Its symptoms typically appear in the form of a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever, fatigue, and swollen glands in the neck. A thick gray or white membrane attached to the throat or tonsils may also appear.
In severe cases, it can lead to difficulty breathing and complications affecting the heart and nerves.
Prevention through vaccination remains one of the most important means of reducing the incidence and spread of the disease, in addition to early identification of cases, contact tracing, and taking necessary medical measures.
Therefore, the appearance of severe respiratory symptoms, especially in a child or a person who has been in contact with a suspected case, necessitates seeking a health institution and not attempting to remove any membrane from the throat independently.
