An Outbreak of Diphtheria Among Displaced Persons in Bangladesh

Among 382 suspected diphtheria cases, throat or nasal swabs were positive by RT-PCR for toxin-containing Clostridium diphtheriae in 40%; of these, coinfection with C. pseudodiphtheriticum occurred in 82%.

Although diphtheria has become uncommon since the development of a vaccine, >800 cases were reported in and around refugee camps in Bangladesh between August and December 2017, after the influx of some 630,000 forcibly displaced persons from Myanmar. In December 2017, the CDC tested throat and nasal swab samples from 382 of 705 patients with suspected diphtheria (median age, 8 years).

In all, 153 patients (40%) tested positive for toxin-containing Clostridium diphtheriae by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR; 67% of these based on throat swabs only). Culturing of throat and nasal samples from 31 patients yielded 34 positive cultures for C. diphtheriae. Of these, 32 (94%) showed reduced susceptibility to penicillin and 1 …

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

An Outbreak of Diphtheria Among Displaced Persons in Bangladesh

Topics

Reviewing Author