Corynebacterium diphtheriae infections currently and in the past

Abstract

Along with the introduction of common obligatory vaccinations against diphtheria, the disease has been limited in developed countries. However, diphtheria is still endemic in developing countries. Due to a growing popularity of visiting these countries, there is a risk of importation of the disease to Europe. Studies revealed that over 60% of persons aged >40 years in the Polish population do not have a protective level of antibodies against diphtheria. Furthermore, an access to diphtheria antitoxin, which is essential in diphtheria treatment, is now hardly accessible in Europe. On the other hand, in many countries, including Poland, new infections caused by non-toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae have been emerged. Such infections are frequently manifested by bacteraemia and endocarditis with a high fatality rate, amounting even to 41%.