Two children die of diphtheria in Salé as Morocco confronts return of rare disease

Two children from the same family have died of diphtheria in Salé, prompting health authorities to launch emergency vaccinations, trace more than 40 contacts and isolate suspected cases as the bacterial disease reappears in Morocco after decades of rarity.

The deaths occurred in Sidi Abdellah, in the Laayayda district, where medical teams were dispatched to contain the outbreak, sources familiar with the response told Hespress.

Laboratory tests confirmed additional infections, with affected patients receiving treatment. No further deaths have been reported.

The two children who died had not been vaccinated against diphtheria, according to the same sources.

Health teams identified more than 40 close contacts and provided vaccinations and preventive medication, extending their intervention to the surrounding neighbourhood.

Two facilities, Moulay Abdellah Provincial Hospital and the Tabriquet local hospital, have been designated to isolate and treat suspected patients requiring medical observation.

Sources said vaccines, medication and protective supplies were available, describing the situation as under control while surveillance continued.

Diphtheria resurfaces after decades

The deaths follow the detection of two family clusters in the Souss-Massa region in late September, affecting unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children in Agadir Ida-Outanane and Chtouka Ait Baha.

Morocco had recorded no locally reported diphtheria cases for decades, with 1992 cited as the last year before its reappearance in 2026.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets and close contact.

Symptoms typically appear two to five days after infection and include sore throat, fever and difficulty swallowing. Severe cases can cause breathing difficulties, heart damage and neurological complications.

The disease is preventable through vaccination, with Morocco’s national immunization programme providing initial doses at two, three and four months, followed by boosters at 18 months and five years.

Health authorities have emphasized early diagnosis, isolation and contact tracing to prevent further transmission.

The Ministry of Health has previously warned that declining vaccination coverage and misinformation about vaccines have contributed to diphtheria’s resurgence in several countries.