Eurosurveillance
Volume 21, Issue 2, 2016

Respiratory diphtheria in an asylum seeker from afghanistan arriving to Finland via Sweden, December 2015 (Article) (Open Access)

Sane J.* , Sorvari T. , Wideström M. , Kauma H. , Kaukoniemi U. , Tarkka E. , Puumalainen T. , Kuusi M. , Salminen M. , Lyytikäinen O.
  • a Department of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Disease Control Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • b Department of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Disease Control Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • c Department of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
  • d Department of Internal Medicine, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
  • e Department of Infectious Diseases, Länsi-Pohja Central Hospital, Finland
  • f Helsinki University Central Hospital, Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Laboratory Services, HUSLAB, Finland
  • g Department of Health Protection, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • h Department of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Disease Control Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • i Department of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Disease Control Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • j Department of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Disease Control Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

Abstract

In December 2015, an asylum seeker originating from Afghanistan was diagnosed with respiratory diphtheria in Finland. He arrived in Finland from Sweden where he had already been clinically suspected and tested for diphtheria. Corynebacterium diphtheriae was confirmed in Sweden and shown to be genotypically and phenotypically toxigenic. The event highlights the importance of early case detection, rapid communication within the country and internationally as well as preparedness plans of diphtheria antitoxin availability. © 2016, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

genetics Afghanistan Finland refugee human Refugees travel oral drug administration Administration, Oral malaise intravenous drug administration asylum seeker Sweden Humans Adolescent Treatment Outcome male electrocardiography case report tonsillitis Diphtheria Antitoxin sore throat troponin I Roxithromycin polymerase chain reaction Streptococcus group A isolation and purification Corynebacterium Infections Article penicillin derivative Corynebacterium diphtheriae Administration, Intravenous fever diphtheria antibody antiinfective agent thorax pain Anti-Bacterial Agents diphtheria cefuroxime pharyngitis
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84976328494&doi=10.2807%2f1560-7917.ES.2016.21.2.30105&partnerID=40&md5=84baaa847fc0b727518bb147664c23f1
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.2.30105
ISSN: 1025496X
Cited by: 10
Original Language: English