Diptheria in Britain is ‘sharply’ on the rise due to small boat crossings
Diphtheria in Britain ‘on the rise’ due to small boat crossings as scientists warn dozens of new cases almost all linked to ‘migrant arrivals’
- Most cases were ‘young Afghan males’ with ‘unknown vaccination history’
- In 2022, 73 cases of the disease were recorded in England, up from 12 last year
Diphtheria cases have risen sharply due to small boat crossings, scientists warn.
Researchers said outbreaks across the continent in the past year were “primarily related to incoming migrants” – almost all from Afghanistan.
Diphtheria, a highly contagious bacterial infection that can be fatal, is rare in the UK because babies and children have been routinely vaccinated against it since the 1940s.
But people who aren’t vaccinated are highly susceptible to the disease, which can cause nasty sores on the skin, breathing problems and heart damage if not treated with antibiotics.
The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases report for England uses figures from the UK Health Security Agency and is based on genomic testing of hundreds of cases in ten countries in Europe, including 59 in England.
Diphtheria cases have risen sharply due to small boat crossings, scientists warn
It shows how a total of 73 cases of the disease were recorded in England in 2022 – up from 12 cases last year – and another case was recorded this year.
Most patients (97 per cent) were ‘young Afghan males’ under 18 with an ‘unknown vaccination history’ – although the UKHSA notes that this group may be ‘over-represented’ due to ‘greater clinical awareness and case identification’ among the demographics.
About half of those infected (51 percent) had skin problems caused by the disease, including blisters on the legs, feet and hands, and large sores.
About 12 percent had no symptoms, and the disease was picked up through screening or contact tracing in these cases.
The authors said: ‘Linked to an increase in migrants arriving via small boat in the summer of 2022, the UK experienced a sharp increase in cases of diphtheria caused by toxigenic corynebacterium diphtheriae last year.’
Speaking of data for Europe as a whole, they said there had been ‘clear transmission among migrants’, which they believed had occurred ‘during travel within migrant facilities’. They added that “a lack of proper vaccination among the migrant population” was the reason for the outbreaks.
To prevent future outbreaks of diphtheria, the researchers recommended “increased awareness among physicians providing care to migrants,” “thorough vaccination protocols,” and “timely screening of those at risk.”
Most of the patients (97 percent) were “young Afghan males” under the age of 18 (Photo: Health officials treating cases of diphtheria at the Manston Migrant Processing Center)
They added: ‘Further monitoring of this situation using molecular typing and genomic approaches will be key to determining the source and pathways of this resurgence.’
The research was led by Dr Helena Seth-Smith of the University of Zurich and Dr Sylvain Brisse of the Institut Pasteur in Paris, who collaborated with scientists from across Europe, including the European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Two people died of diphtheria in the UK in 2021 and one in 2022.
Before vaccination began in the UK, there were 60,000 cases a year, with around 4,000 deaths.
The disease made headlines last year after an outbreak was traced to the Manston migrant center in Kent.