KANGANPUR-Diphtheria, a serious infectious disease that causes fever and difficulty in breathing and swallowing, played havoc in Kulmokal area of Kanganpur where three children have lost their lives and some 35 are affected by it.
Three of the 35 children have been referred to Children Hospital Lahore. Khawaja Salman Rafiq, adviser to Punjab CM on health, along with DG health Punjab and other officials visited the affected village. He directed for the complete check-up and the water analysis of the village.
Three children namely Asima, Afzal and Tanzeela lost their lives due to diphtheria during the last one week. On discovering the reported casualties, the local health department set up a camp in which Dr Jafar examined the children and referred two more children to Children Hospital Lahore.
Khawaja Salman during the visit directed the health officials to provide complete health facilities for the affected children. He also directed to ensure the water analysis of the affected village. The DG health said that bacteria cause the spread of the disease. He added that it hits children and is transferred to other children through respiration, a thin film appears in the throat of the patient, if not treated well, it gets bard and causes suffocation and ultimately causes death.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that affects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose. Although it spreads easily from one person to another, diphtheria can be prevented through the use of vaccines.
If it’s left untreated, diphtheria can cause severe damage to kidney, nervous system, and heart. It’s fatal in about 3 percent of cases.
A type of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheria causes diphtheria. The condition is typically spread through person-to-person contact or through contact with objects that have the bacteria on them, such as a cup or used tissue. You may also get diphtheria if you’re around an infected person when they sneeze, cough, or blow their nose. Even if an infected person doesn’t show any signs or symptoms of diphtheria, they’re still able to transmit the bacterial infection for up to six weeks after the initial infection.
The bacteria most commonly infect your nose and throat. Once you’re infected, the bacteria release dangerous substances called toxins.