Bill Gates responsible for diphtheria outbreak in Nigeria? fact surfaces

Several comments from Nigerians have linked the outbreak of the diphtheria disease to American business magnate, Bill Gates.

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by the corynebacterium species that affect the nose, throat, and sometimes, skin of an individual, a Premium Times' article noted.

Diphtheria is a serious infection that spreads easily between humans through direct contact with infected people, droplets from coughing or sneezing, and contact with contaminated clothing and objects.

Some of its symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, red eyes, neck swelling, and difficulty in breathing, Vanguard reported.

Recall Gates recently visited Nigeria, and on Monday, July 3, after he had returned to the US, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) announced the outbreak of diphtheria infection in Abuja.

Speaking at a media conference, Sadiq Abdulrahman, the FCT director of public health department, said the disease has already killed a four-year-old child, The Guardian Nigeria reported.

Considering Gates had visited Nigeria not long ago, many linked the news of the outbreak to the visit of one of the world’s richest persons.

The claims can be found here, here, and here on Twitter and Facebook.

It is not the first time that Gates, 67, would be accused of such.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people said he was responsible for it — to control people and make huge profits.

But a fact-check earlier this week by TheCable found that the claim that Gates is responsible for the recent diphtheria outbreak is false.

According to the online newspaper, Nigeria recorded diphtheria cases in Borno twelve years ago, and recently announced an outbreak in some states six months before Gates visited.

Therefore, the circulating claim is another conspiracy theory linked to the software giant, Microsoft founder.