Researchers have found an increase in imported cases of diphtheria, a highly contagious bacterial infection, in France and Europe.
- Diphtheria is a bacterial infection, manifested by pharyngitis, fever, neck swelling and headache.
- Vaccination against diphtheria is mandatory for French newborns.
- An increase in imported cases of diphtheria has been observed in France, and in several European countries.
In France, vaccination against diphtheria is mandatory in infants with three injections. Boosters are then given to children and adults at different ages in life. This highly contagious bacterial infection is transmitted during contact with a sick person, but also with a healthy carrier. Diphtheria is mainly characterized by pharyngitis, fever, swelling of the neck and headache.
An increase in diphtheria cases in France and Europe
Thanks to the significant vaccination coverage, diphtheria has virtually disappeared in France. According to a communication published at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, an increase in cases of diphtheria has however been recorded in France and in Europe. According to the data, in 2022, 30 cases were recorded in France, 118 in Germany, 69 in Austria and 52 in Switzerland.
For now, the causes of this increase are not known, but the researchers have a hypothesis. According to them, this spread could be due to poor vaccination coverage in the countries of origin of the patients, in particular Afghanistan and Syria. “The vaccine protects against the disease, but not against the asymptomatic carriage of the bacterium: it therefore continues to circulate. And when the vaccination coverage of the population declines, we are witnessing re-emergence of cases”noted Dr. Sylvain Briss, director of the national reference center for diphtheria and director of research at the Pasteur Institute, who led a genomic study of bacterial strains, At Figaro.
Diphtheria: mild forms of bacterial infection
According to the researchers, the transmission of diphtheria occurred on the migratory wheels, or before leaving the country of origin due to “a lack of hygiene and promiscuity”. Patients have primarily presented with cutaneous forms of the bacterial infection, which are generally mild.
During genomic sequencing, Dr. Sylvain Briss and his team observed four different strains. According to scientists, this could mean “that there were 4 chains of transmission“.
“The message to take away from all this is that these diseases that we no longer know about here can come back thanks to geopolitical imbalances, because they are not controlled in the countries of the South. Let us never forget that the microbes know no borders: it is therefore essential to maintain good vaccination coverage on our territory.This is particularly effective in France, because our recommendations provide for booster shots in adults at 25, 45 and 65 years of age, then all 10 years, which is not the case for all countries”concluded the director of the national reference center for diphtheria.