Recent Outbreaks of Diphtheria in Dibrugarh District, Assam, India
Diphtheria is still a significant child health problem in countries with low immunization coverage. Reports of diphtheria in adult population are also increasing. Here we describe three recent outbreaks of diphtheria in Dibrugarh district, Assam in two consecutive years. The study was undertaken i...
Main Authors: | , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
2016-07-01
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Series: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/8144/20212_CE(RA1)_F(T)_PF1(ASAK)_PFA(AK)_PFA2(ESAK).pdf |
Summary: | Diphtheria is still a significant child health problem in countries with low immunization coverage. Reports of diphtheria in adult population
are also increasing. Here we describe three recent outbreaks of diphtheria in Dibrugarh district, Assam in two consecutive years. The
study was undertaken in Assam Medical College & Hospital, Dibrugarh after the diagnosis of two Diphtheria cases in the month of
September and October 2015 and another in January 2016. Outbreak investigation was done after defining operational definition and
throat swabs were collected from thirty three (33) individuals including three (3) index cases and thirty (30) close contacts. Diagnosis was
done by clinical findings, direct microscopy, bacteriological culture and in-house designed multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
of the isolates for the expression of Corynebacterium diphtheriae specific rpoB gene and tox gene. Out of the 10 confirmed cases, 2 and
7 were in the first two outbreaks while only one in the third outbreak respectively. All the cases were of age > 10 years, unimmunized or
partially immunized.
The overall mortality was 20%. PCR results revealed all the culture positive isolates to be tox gene positive. Diphtheria is a resurgent
problem in our region with a significant age shift towards adult. |
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ISSN: | 2249-782X 0973-709X |