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narrative_review·infectious disease, public health, epidemiology, pediatrics·PMC10289572

Recent outbreak of diphtheria in Pakistan; short communication

Annals of Medicine and Surgery · 3 authors, 3 centres

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TL;DR

This short communication describes a recent diphtheria outbreak in Pakistan, reporting 46 confirmed cases and 45 fatalities among children and teenagers in 2022, linked to poor vaccination and antitoxin availability.

Full summary

467 CHARS

It reports that cases in Pakistan increased through the 2002–2021 period, ending at 169 in 2021, with 45 fatalities of children and teenagers in 2022. A total of 46 confirmed cases were reported across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in early 2022. The authors attribute the outbreak to the poor quality of the vaccination regimen and unavailability of anti-diphtheria serum, and they call for urgent public health action including ensuring antitoxin availability and vaccination.

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narrative_review

SPECIALTY

infectious disease

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AI pipeline

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100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10289572

Recent outbreak of diphtheria in Pakistan; short communication

Annals of Medicine and Surgery

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheria usually starts with sore throat and fever and often results in breathing difficulties, heart rhythm problems, and rarely membranous pharyngitis. Although nursing these complications can help most people survive diphtheria, but it can be deadly in 5–10% of cases with higher death rates observed in children under 5 years of age or adults above 40. For the year 2022, 92 cases have been reported by seven European countries. Sixty-six of the reported cases presented with cutaneous diphtheria caused by Corynebacterium diphtheria while cases of respiratory diphtheria have also been reported, including one fatal case. The increase in diphtheria cases can be linked to an increased volume of migrants from diphtheria-endemic countries causing transmission of pathogens from countries of origin to recipient countries. Today the authors can treat diphtheria infections by using antibiotics and also prevent the disease with a vaccine. General population should be given awareness and educated in regard to disease prevention and appropriately implement administration of Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Pertussis Vaccines among people at risk for their own protection and urgently call for an action to eliminate the disease before its further spread as an outbreak. Keywords: Diphtheria; Corynebacterium diphtheria ; outbreak; Pakistan; Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Pertussis Vaccine

CITATION EXPORT

Syeda Ilsa Aaqil, Sidhant Ochani, Md Al Hasibuzzaman. Recent outbreak of diphtheria in Pakistan; short communication. Annals of Medicine and Surgery. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000000832

AUTHORS

3 · 3 CENTRES

Syeda Ilsa Aaqil, Sidhant Ochani, Md Al Hasibuzzaman

aDepartment of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi
bDepartment of Medicine, Khairpur Medical College, Khairpur Mir’s, Pakistan
cInstitute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh