The health ministry, in a statement today, said the child was never immunised for the disease because her parents were against it.

“The child came down with a fever and sore throat on Oct 4 and was brought to a private clinic for initial treatment on Oct 11.

“The next day, the child was brought to the emergency department of a hospital because of breathing difficulties and poor appetite.

“The patient was admitted to the children’s ward and subsequently transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit on Oct 13 because she had become very weak and needed breathing aid,” the ministry said.

It added that the child died on Oct 15 due to severe diphtheria with multi-organ failure.

“Throat swabs showed the presence of Corynebacterium diphtheriae and ministry is now waiting for the results of laboratory tests,” the ministry said.

The ministry said no new cases were reported and urged the public to be wary of infectious diseases which can be prevented by immunisation, like diphtheria, measles, mumps and others.

Immunisation is available at government and private clinics, it said, and urged parents not to put their children at risk of such diseases.