Diphtheria surge in Sumatra city prompts vaccination drive
Health officials with the West Sumatra Health Agency have reported a surge of the very serious vaccine-preventable disease, diphtheria, in the city of Padang over the past month prompting a mass vaccination campaign.
Sumatra map/CIA
"During the last four weeks, 28 cases of children with suspected diphtheria have been found, six of which tested positive for the diphtheria bacteria," West Sumatra Health Agency head Rosnini Savitri said to the Jakarta Post.
In addition, two of the 6 confirmed cases died from the disease.
The health agency is targeting 254,000 children and adolescents aged between 2 months and 15 years for vaccination against diphtheria, the report notes.
Diphtheria is a dangerous respiratory disease is caused by a potent toxin produced by certain strains of the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Diphtheria is extremely contagious through coughing or sneezing. Riskfactors include crowding, poor hygiene, and lack of immunization.
Symptoms usually appear within a week of infection. Thisinfection is characterized by a sore throat, coughing and fever very similar to many common diseases like strep throat. Additional symptoms may be bloody, watery discharge from the nose and rapid breathing. However, a presumptivediagnosis can be made by observing a characteristic thick grayish patch (membrane) found in the throat. In more severe cases, neck swelling and airway obstruction may be observed. In the tropics, cutaneous and wound diphtheria is much more common and can be a source of transmission.
The real serious danger is when the toxin that is produced by the bacterium gets into the bloodstream and spreads to organs like the heart and nervous system. Myocarditis, congestive heart failure and neurological illnesses of paralysis that mimic Guillain-Barre syndrome are most severe. Even with treatment,fatalities are still seen in up to 10% of cases.
Diphtheria can be treated and cured successfully withantitoxin and antibiotics if started early enough. The prevention of diphtheria is through vaccination.
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