The Aftermath of Flood Crises- Diphtheria Outbreak in Sindh
The recent floods in Pakistan have not only resulted in greater than 1290 deaths and 12500 flood-related injuries but also thousands of cases of communicable and non-communicable diseases [1]. One of the worrisome outbreaks is that of diphtheria; which in August-September 2022 resulted in 39 co...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lnh.edu.pk/lnjpc/pdf/c045ed4e-99d2-40df-9cf8-07cfb56c2f9e.pdf |
| Summary: | The recent floods in Pakistan have not only resulted
in greater than 1290 deaths and 12500 flood-related
injuries but also thousands of cases of communicable
and non-communicable diseases [1]. One of the
worrisome outbreaks is that of diphtheria; which in
August-September 2022 resulted in 39 confirmed cases
and 10 deaths in Sindh [2].
Corynebacterium diphtheriae is a bacterium causing
diphtheria infection [3]. This bacterium is transmitted
between humans via droplets, secretions, and direct
contact with cutaneous lesions. The toxin produced
can cause respiratory symptoms leading to airway
obstruction, myocarditis, or nephritis. A judicious
diagnosis is pivotal and treatment should be initiated
immediately. Isolation of toxigenic bacteria confirms the
diagnosis. Treatment includes anti-toxin and antibiotics.
An effective vaccine is available against diphtheria
which is included in our EPI program [4]. The death ratio
among untreated patients ranges from 5% to 20% [5].
The incidence of diphtheria is reduced by the introduction
of vaccines [5, 6]. However, diphtheria is still prevalent in
some low-income countries [6]. Children over 5 years of
age have more chances of acquiring diphtheria due to a
lack of booster doses after primary series coverage [7].
Unfortunately, the full vaccination coverage for children
under the age of two years is 76.1%, which contributes
to high infant and child mortality [8]. The situation has
become graver after the floods, where providing basic
health amenities is a challenge. The flood-affected areas
require proper disease assessment and vaccine drive.
These outbreaks should be inspected, routine childhood
immunization should be done at a quicker pace and
additional booster Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus (DPT)
vaccine should be encompassed in the EPI program. We
would also recommend initiating an outbreak response
immunization campaign in the affected areas to stop this
outbreak. The primary care physicians should counsel
the parents and ensure that children are vaccinated
appropriately to age.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
None. |
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| ISSN: | 2707-3521 2708-9134 |