Third child dies in Morocco diphtheria outbreak

A twelve-year-old boy has died of diphtheria in northern Morocco, prompting parents to demand urgent action against the contagious bacteria infection in schools.

The boy died on Tuesday at Lalla Meryem Provincial Hospital in the northwestern city of Larache after he received intensive treatment for the disease.

The boy was not vaccinated against the disease, *Hespress *reported. Two other children in northern Morocco have recently died of the disease.

Parents' associations are now calling for an urgent vaccination programme, and health monitoring in schools.

96% of people in Morocco have received three doses of the diphtheria vaccine, according to estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO now recommend that children are given six doses of the vaccine before adolescence, though they do not record data for vaccinations past the third dose.

The vaccine is often given in combination with vaccines against other diseases like tetanus and polio.

Diptheria is caused by an infection of a bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae, which makes a toxin that kills healthy tissue.

The bacteria can be spread between people through respiratory droplets, often from coughing and sneezing.

Typical symptoms of diptheria include fever, difficulty breathing, swollen glands, and puss-filled blisters on the skin. In rare cases the toxin can enter the blood stream, damaging vital organs.

Diphtheria can usually be treated with antibiotics or other medicines, though it proves fatal in approximately 10% of cases, even with treatment, according to Oxford Vaccine Group.

Morocco's Ministry of Health announced in September that they have identified two clusters of diphtheria involving children who have not been fully vaccinated against the disease.

Before the recent outbreak, Morocco had not reported diphtheria cases in three decades.

The most recent outbreak of Diptheria reported by the WHO was in Guinea in 2023. That outbreak caused 13 confirmed deaths.

The WHO has not yet reported current the outbreak of Diptheria in Morocco