A resurgence and re-emergence of diphtheria in Nigeria, 2023

[Extract] Diphtheria is a highly contagious vaccine-preventable bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae that primarily infects the throat (pharynx and tonsils) and nose. The bacterium has an estimated basic reproduction number of 1.7–4.3. Although diphtheria is treatable if detected early, it can lead to severe complications such as respiratory failure, heart problems and even deaths (case-fatality ratio among untreated, never vaccinated cases 28.8–29.2%). It remains a health problem in low-resource countries, particularly where vaccination uptake and coverage are low and where sanitation conditions remain poor.

Therapeutic advances in infectious disease

Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease

10

2049-937X

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N/A

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