Diphtheria

10 Brote Activos

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It primarily affects the nose and throat, forming a thick gray membrane, but can also involve the skin. While rare in vaccinated populations, it can be life-threatening if untreated.

7
Países Afectados
1,833
Casos Recientes (30 días)
10
Brotes Activos
Today
Última Actualización

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¿Qué es Diphtheria?

Diphtheria has a long and devastating history, causing major epidemics globally, especially among children, before the 20th century. The bacterium responsible, *Corynebacterium diphtheriae*, was identified by Edwin Klebs in 1884. The development of an antitoxin and later a highly effective vaccine dramatically reduced its incidence and mortality, making its control a major public health success story.

Síntomas

  • Sore throat and hoarseness
  • Swollen glands in the neck (bull neck in severe cases)
  • Difficulty breathing and swallowing
  • Thick, gray membrane covering the tonsils and back of the throat
  • Fever and chills
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Skin lesions (cutaneous diphtheria, less common)

Transmisión

Diphtheria primarily spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets released when an infected individual coughs, sneezes, or talks. Less commonly, it can be transmitted through direct contact with infected skin lesions or contaminated objects. Close and prolonged contact is generally required for transmission.

Período de Contagio: Varies by disease

Prevención

  • Vaccination: Get vaccinated with the DTaP (children) or Tdap/Td (adolescents/adults) vaccine.
  • Boosters: Ensure up-to-date booster shots as recommended by health authorities.
  • Avoid contact: Limit close contact with infected individuals.
  • Hygiene: Practice good hand hygiene, especially around sick people.

Live Diphtheria Global Case Map

7 countries with reported activity. Updated from real-time surveillance data.

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Brotes Activos y Casos Recientes

Inteligencia en tiempo real de monitoreo global de salud y vigilancia impulsada por IA

Fuentes de datos: BEACON, ProMED, OMS, CDC y más de 50 agencias nacionales de salud

✓ Datos en vivo actualizados en tiempo real desde fuentes de salud globales

Half of vaccines are binned - this plant could change that

United Kingdom 2026-08-12
Activo

The trial dried out the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine with trehalose to protect its vital components.

Prof Saul Faust, the director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility in Southampton, said it gave "equivalent" immune responses to the conventional vaccine as well as being "safe and well tolerated" in the early stage studies.

Faust added: "This obviously has potential to remove cold chain dependence, reduce wastage and improve access."

A larger trial involving 160 people is already due to start

📰 12 news sources reporting on this story.

🔗 Read more at Technology Org

Diphtheria Kills Child in Czechia First Time Since 1969

Czechia 2026-05-28
Activo

This event envelope contains reports on diphtheria in Czechia.

Source: BEACON - View Full Report

Romania's vaccination coverage below recommended levels in 2025, UNICEF/WHO report shows

Romania 2026-07-17
Activo

Vaccination coverage in Romania remained below recommended levels in 2025, shows a report published on Wednesday by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the released data, tens of thousands of children were not immunised against serious diseases such as measles, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Despite vaccines in the National Immunisation Programme being offered free of charge, Romania continues to record insufficient coverage among children. UNICEF and WHO estimates for 2025 indicate that only 85% of children received the first dose of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP1), leaving around 27,000 children unvaccinated against these diseases, agerpres reports. For measles, the first dose of the MMR vaccine reached an estimated coverage of just 66%, meani...
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Changing Australia: Simon Quilty and building better homes to improve First Nations health

Australia 2026-05-25
Activo

Australian authorities and communities are urgently trying to bring a major diphtheria outbreak across several states under control. The Northern Territory government is investigating at least one death and there are concerted efforts to lift vaccination and booster rates in affected areas, with the federal government committing an extra seven million dollars in funding. Meanwhile there are concerns poor quality housing and over-crowding are also contributing to the spread of diphtheria in remote communities. Guest: Dr Simon Quilty, co-founder of Indigenous led housing initiative Wilya Janta
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The online threat linked to Australia's worst diphtheria outbreak in decades

Australia 2026-05-22
Activo

Some of the misinformation circulating online about the outbreak has falsely linked it to migration. Once one of Australia's most feared childhood diseases, diphtheria killed thousands of children before vaccination programs introduced in the 1930s all but eliminated the infection for decades. The disease became so rare that many doctors never encountered a case. But Australia is now experiencing its largest outbreak since national records began, with more than 230 cases reported in 2026, with the most cases in the Northern Territory. Cases have also been detected in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia, while one death in the Northern Territory is believed to have been caused by the disease. As authorities work to contain the outbreak, health experts say misinformation circul...
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Second diphtheria death confirmed in NT

Australia, New South Wales 2026-05-26
Activo

A second diphtheria-related death in the Northern Territory has underscored the spread of the rare bacterial infection across jurisdictions as health authorities continue tracking an outbreak not seen in decades.

The ABC has confirmed a man in his early 60s has died after contracting diphtheria in the Northern Territory.

He had pre-existing heart conditions and was from a remote Central Australian community before dying at Alice Springs Hospital on Sunday.

It marks the second reported death li

📰 24 news sources reporting on this story.

🔗 Read more at EXPRESS

Victorian disease rips through major country as travel warning issued

United Kingdom 2026-05-30
Activo

Diphtheria cases are on the rise in Australia [FILE] (Image: Getty Images) Australia is battling its worst diphtheria outbreak in decades, with more than 230 cases reported this year and one confirmed death, prompting urgent travel warnings for unvaccinated Britons. Health authorities declared the highly contagious bacterial infection a "Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance" on May 22, 2026. Australia's chief medical officer, Professor Michael Kidd AO, stated: "This is the largest outbreak since national records began in 1991." Cases began rising steadily in late 2025 before surging sharply from February. The majority have been recorded in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, with additional infections in South Australia and Queensland. The outbreak has hit Abori...
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Nigeria Records 65,759 Suspected Diphtheria Cases, 2,229 Deaths

Nigeria 2026-07-08
Activo

Nigeria has recorded 65,759 suspected cases of diphtheria and 2,229 deaths since the outbreak began in 2022, underscoring the continued threat posed by the vaccine-preventable disease despite recent gains in containment efforts. The latest figures, released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), come as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, announced the conclusion of its three-year emergency response to the outbreak in Kano State, one of the country's hardest-hit states. According to MSF, Kano accounted for a significant share of the national burden, with the state Ministry of Health recording more than 31,900 suspected cases and over 1,260 deaths, most of them children, between March 2022 and 22 March 2026. To support efforts to ...
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Nashik Teen Dies Minutes After Tetanus Shot, Family Blames Vaccine

India, 00 2026-06-26
Activo

On Wednesday afternoon, Shravani Patil had gone to the vaccination center.

A 17-year-old girl has died minutes after receiving a Tetanus and Diphtheria (TD) injection at a vaccination camp organised by the Nashik Municipal Corporation. Probe has been ordered after the family of Shravani Patil has said that she died "because of the vaccine". Maintaining that several others were given a shot from the same vial, the authorities have ordered an inquiry. A postmortem examination has been conducted, a

📰 11 news sources reporting on this story.

🔗 Read more at Free Press Journal

Diphtheria, Haiti

Haiti 2026-06-15
Activo

This event envelope contains reports on diphtheria in Haiti.

Source: BEACON - View Full Report

Don't find out from the news. Track this outbreak and 200+ diseases in real time.

Recursos Expertos y Referencias

Información confiable de las principales organizaciones de salud

CDC

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WHO

Vigilancia global de enfermedades y directrices de la Organización Mundial de la Salud

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Contenido Revisado Médicamente

La información sobre enfermedades en Virus Watcher es revisada por nuestro Epidemiólogo Jefe, ex analista principal del CDC para el pronóstico FluSight. Los datos de brotes se agregan de fuentes verificadas incluyendo BEACON, ProMED, OMS, CDC y más de 50 agencias nacionales de salud. Esta información es con fines educativos y no debe reemplazar el asesoramiento médico profesional.

Última revisión: 2026-08-13

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