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Diphtheria Re-emergence: Problems Faced by Developing Countries

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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the pre-vaccination era, diphtheria was a leading cause of childhood mortality. With the introduction of routine childhood immunization, paediatric care and improved hygiene status the disease has been almost completely eradicated in many developed countries. On the contrary developing countries, still account for 80–90% of the global burden. Retrospective analysis of 52 cases of diphtheria over a period of 12 years at a tertiary referral hospital was carried out. They were analyzed for mortality and morbidity trends, immunization status, microbiological confirmation rates and antidiphtheritic serum (ADS) administration. Incidence in those over 5 years was 59.61%. Only 11.54% cases were either partially or fully immunized. The case fatality rate was 36.53%. Culture was performed only in 17 cases whereas ADS was administered in only 16 cases. In conclusion, the occurrence of diphtheria even in those immunized highlights the flaws in the present immunization program. Poor immunization coverage, lack of ADS, antibiotic resistance are the main reasons for re-emergence of diphtheria.

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Acknowledgments

The study was conducted at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli which is a tertiary referral hospital located in the North Karnataka. We sincerely thank the Department of Medical Records, Department of Microbiology and the Department of Paediatrics for procurement of the data for analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of ENT, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli, Karnataka, India

    Manjunath Dandinarasaiah, Bhat Kemmannu Vikram, Naveen Krishnamurthy & Abhineet Jain

  2. School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721302, West Bengal, India

    A. C. Chetan

  3. House No. 14, 1st Floor, ‘Shreyas’, Prabhat Colony, Vidyanagar, Hubli, 580021, Karnataka, India

    Manjunath Dandinarasaiah

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  1. Manjunath Dandinarasaiah
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  2. Bhat Kemmannu Vikram
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  3. Naveen Krishnamurthy
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  4. A. C. Chetan
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  5. Abhineet Jain
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Correspondence to Manjunath Dandinarasaiah.

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Dandinarasaiah, M., Vikram, B.K., Krishnamurthy, N. et al. Diphtheria Re-emergence: Problems Faced by Developing Countries. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 65, 314–318 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-012-0518-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-012-0518-5

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