NIH warns of Diphtheria outbreak in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has warned of an outbreak of new Diphtheria disease in Pakistan, ARY News reported.

As per details, the NIH issued an advisory about the possible Diphtheria outbreak in Pakistan, instructing provinces to stay alert.

The NIH said that the bacterial disease is life-threatening and the number of cases increase in the month between November and February.

In 2022, the NIH reported 26 cases of this bacterial disease. The concerned institutions must take measures to spot the cases and monitor them to curb the spread of Diphtheria.

It is a contagious disease and can spread from person to person usually from coughing, sneezing, touching and even touching the clothes of the infected person.

The incubation period of this disease varies from two to five days and can be diagnosed by PCR test.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) further warned that infected persons must be immediately isolated.

Read more: NIH CONFIRMS PRESENCE OF NEW SUB-VARIANT OF CORONAVIRUS

Earlier, the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed presence of the Covid-19’s new sub-variant in the country.

A sub-variant of Omicron variant of the coronavirus, XBB, has been present in the country for last three months, NIH said in a statement.

The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) monitoring the coronavirus situation in the country, NIH stated.

Member Sindh Corona Taskforce Dr Faisal Mahmood yesterday urged masses to wear facemasks and avoid public gatherings after detection of new variant of Covid-19 in Karachi.

While confirming the detection of cases of new Covid variant in Karachi, Dr Faisal Mahmood said that the number of Covid patients infected with the new variant coming to hospitals is low.

He advised people to get themselves checked by doctors in case of illness. The people who are ill, have been advised to use facemasks and asked to avoid visiting public places.