Diphtheria Outbreaks Reported in Multiple Countries

While Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease, recent health alerts indicate various countries have under-vaccinated populations.

As of September 22, 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued Travel Health Notices for Diphtheria outbreaks in the Republics of Guinea and Nigeria in Africa and Vietnam in East Asia.

As an example of recent outbreaks, during July and August 2023, a total of 5,898 suspected Diphtheria cases were reported from Local Government Areas in eleven Nigerian states.

The CDC says if you travel to any affected area, you should be up to date with your diphtheria vaccines. The U.S. agency recommends vaccinating everyone two months and older to protect against Diphtheria.

And if you have immunization questions, discuss the need for a booster dose with your healthcare professional before traveling abroad.

Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria that make a toxin that can cause people to get very sick.

This bacteria spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, like from coughing or sneezing, and from touching open sores or ulcers of people sick with Diphtheria.

For some people, respiratory Diphtheria can lead to death. Even with treatment, about 1 in 10 patients with respiratory Diphtheria die. Without treatment, up to half of patients can die from the disease, says the CDC.  

Globally, Diptheria cases have been declining since 2019, when 22,986 cases were reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2022, 5,856 cases were confirmed. 

Furthermore, the WHO's current vaccination data indicates a high percentage for most countries, including the United States.