Eurosurveillance - Volume 2, Issue 8, 01 August 1997

The recent epidemic of diphtheria in the former Soviet Union has been a major threat to countries in western Europe, where levels of diphtheria anti-toxin in adults are less than optimal. The total number of cases in western Europe linked to countries fur

When diphtheria was a common disease, it most commonly affected children. Typically, at least 40% of diphtheria cases were children under 5 years of age, and some 70% of cases were children under 15 years of age. This classical pattern of diphtheria cases

Following the receipt of the articles on diphtheria from Poland published in this issue of EuroSurveillance, members of the editorial board were asked about the occurrence of diphtheria cases in their country in the last ten years (mid 1987 to mid 1997),

In recent years people in Poland have acquired diphtheria from eastern neighbours. It was considered important therefore to study the age specific immunity against diphtheria and to compare it with the results of seroepidemiological studies conducted in t

In March 1996, when a 41 year old laboratory technician developed malaise, low grade fever, sore throat, hoarseness and dysphagia she was initially treated symptomatically. One day later, the patient was seen in the emergency room of an ear, nose, and thr

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