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.