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. 2017 Jul;145(10):2100-2108.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268817000851. Epub 2017 May 8.

An isolated outbreak of diphtheria in South Africa, 2015

S Mahomed  1 , M Archary  2 , P Mutevedzi  2   3 , Y Mahabeer  1   4 , P Govender  2 , G Ntshoe  4 , W Kuhn  2 , J Thomas  3 , A Olowolagba  5 , L Blumberg  3 , K McCarthy  3   6 , K Mlisana  3 , M DU Plessis  3   7 , A VON Gottberg  3   7 , P Moodley  1   2
Affiliations

An isolated outbreak of diphtheria in South Africa, 2015

S Mahomed et al. Epidemiol Infect. 2017 Jul.

Erratum in

  • An isolated outbreak of diphtheria in South Africa, 2015 - Erratum.
    Mahomed S, Archary M, Mutevedzi P, Mahabeer Y, Govender P, Ntshoe G, Kuhn W, Thomas J, Olowolagba A, Blumberg L, McCarthy K, Mlisana K, Du Plessis M, Von Gottberg A, Moodley P. Mahomed S, et al. Epidemiol Infect. 2018 Apr;146(5):664. doi: 10.1017/S0950268817001376. Epub 2017 Jul 3. Epidemiol Infect. 2018. PMID: 28669370 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

An outbreak of respiratory diphtheria occurred in two health districts in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in 2015. A multidisciplinary outbreak response team was involved in the investigation and management of the outbreak. Fifteen cases of diphtheria were identified, with ages ranging from 4 to 41 years. Of the 12 cases that were under the age of 18 years, 9 (75%) were not fully immunized for diphtheria. The case fatality was 27%. Ninety-three household contacts, 981 school or work contacts and 595 healthcare worker contacts were identified and given prophylaxis against Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection. A targeted vaccination campaign for children aged 6-15 years was carried out at schools in the two districts. The outbreak highlighted the need to improve diphtheria vaccination coverage in the province and to investigate the feasibility of offering diphtheria vaccines to healthcare workers.

Keywords: Diphtheria antitoxin; epidemiology; surveillance; vaccine-preventable diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Geographic location of 15 diphtheria cases identified during an outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal, 2015.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Number of diphtheria cases by week of illness and district, KwaZulu-Natal, 2015.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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