Historically, diphtheria was a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the prevaccine era. However, in recent times there has been a resurgence of diphtheria, especially in the newly independent states of the former USSR. Diphtheritic polyneuropathy can be a serious complication in patients who have a severe infection. In patients with pertussis, seizures and encephalopathy can occur as a com...

To assess diphtheria immunity in the northeastern region of Thailand, a seroepidemiological survey was undertaken in 2011 from 516 healthy individuals (age range 2-87 years) in Khon Kaen province. Diphtheria antitoxin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and titers of ≥0.1 IU/mL were considered to be protective antitoxin levels. Among the studied population, 94.8% have full...

From 1999 to 2004, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vie Nam reported 401 clinically suspected and 90 laboratory-confirmed diphtheria. To identify risk factors, a matched case-control study was conducted during 2005 and 2006. In total, 88 cases that occurred in 2003 and 2004 and 352 age- and sex-matched controls were studied. No DPT/DT immunisation (odds ratio, 9.9 [95% CI, 1.9-52.3]) and bathing only o...

phase. Diphtheria, chronic and recrudescent, is not, I believe, admitted to exist; and it is because I have been led to think that diphtheria in these phases does exist, and that in these phases it may play an important part in maintaining the malady in a community, that I venture to address you this evening on this subject. I have lately been engaged, on behalf of the Local Government Board, i...

BCG, the attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis, has been widely used as a vaccine against tuberculosis and is thus an important candidate as a live carrier for multiple antigens. With the aim of developing a recombinant BCG (rBCG) vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT), we analyzed the potential of CRM(197), a mutated nontoxic derivative of diphtheria toxin, as the recombin...

background: vaccination against fatal viral and bacterial diseases is still the best protective way to lower morbidity and mortality rate in end‑stage renal disease (esrd) patients. it has been reported that there is high incidence of low protective levels of igg after vaccination in esrd adult patients. the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective status of vaccination against diphther...

A serological survey to determine the immunity to diphtheria in the adult population in Izmir-Turkey was conducted according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization. A total of 339 blood samples were collected from subjects aged between 20 and 81, and diphtheria antitoxin levels were measured by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Titers below 0.1 IU/ml were considered...

The epidemic of diphtheria in the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union has drawn attention to our incomplete understanding of the epidemiology of diphtheria. Many unanswered questions remain concerning the reasons for a resurgence of diphtheria and for the shift in the age of patients and concerning the mechanisms for acquisition of immunity in adults through natural infect...

The duration of protection after vaccination with reduced antigen content diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccines (Tdap) is not known. Long-term post-vaccination serological data will help to improve understanding of the duration of humoral immunity and guide vaccination policy for the timing of repeat dose administration. The persistence of antibodies to Tdap antigens was measured...