NIH Issues Advisory On Prevention Of Corynebacterium Diphtheria

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2023 ) :The Center for Disease Control of National Institute of Health (NIH) has issued an advisory for the prevention and treatment of Corynebacterium Diphtheria in the prevailing high-risk season.

According to the advisory, sporadic cases of Diphtheria are usually reported in Pakistan from November to February while in the previous year of 2022, there were 26 laboratory-confirmed cases reported from all across the country.

The NIH through its advisory alerted health professionals to remain vigilant for picking up suspected Corynebacterium Diphtheria cases and to undertake prevention and control measures during the winter season.

It said that Diphtheria is a potentially life-threatening bacterial disease caused by infection with toxin-producing strains of Corynebacterium Diphtheria. It is transmitted usually from person to person through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing.

While informing about the probable cases, the advisory said that any person who meets the clinical case definition for respiratory diphtheria like upper respiratory tract illness characterized by laryngitis or pharyngitis or tonsillitis and a visible adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, or nose and without epidemiological linkage and laboratory confirmation.

It said that any confirmed case is a probable case that has been laboratory confirmed or linked epidemiologically to a laboratory-confirmed case. Persons with positive Corynebacterium Diphtheria culture, but asymptomatic, should not be reported as suspected or confirmed cases, it added.

The advisory said that Diphtheria is transmitted from person to person, skin lesions usually through respiratory droplets (coughing or sneezing). The infection may come in contact or touching open sores (skin lesions) and material objects (toys or clothes) used by the person who already is sick with diphtheria.

The incubation period is usually 2-5 days, occasionally longer while the bacteriological culture and PCR can be used to detect toxigenic strains of Diphtheria which is a standard test for confirmation specimen collection.

It said that persons should immediately start the treatment if diphtheria is suspected without waiting for laboratory confirmation. It added Diphtheria patients are usually kept in isolation until they are no longer able to infect others.

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