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Diphtheria disease was considered eradicated in the 70sIts bacteria infects the throat and stops breathing within a short time.In Rajasthan it took the lives of 7 children in the last one month.
Diphtheria, which was a deadly disease in the world till the 70s, has returned again. In Rajasthan, 7 children have died due to this in one month. It wreaked havoc in Odisha in the month of June. Within no time, 10 children died in the tribal areas there. The effect of this disease is also in Punjab. There are reports of its infection in many Indian states including Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Overall, if this disease returns to India, then its danger in the world has increased again. Since last year, its outbreak has increased significantly in African countries.
What is this disease? Till the 70s, there was a fear of it because it affected children rapidly. In areas like villages, where there were not adequate medical facilities, children became its victims. After this its vaccine arrived. Efforts to control diphtheria started. To a large extent, this disease was eradicated from the world, but now for the last one or two years, its threat has again started looming over the world.
Why return to India?
Diphtheria is making a comeback in India due to many reasons, there are many reasons but the main reasons are these
Poor vaccination coverage: Many people in India have not been vaccinated against diphtheria or did not receive booster shots
Decrease in immunity due to vaccination- Vaccine protection in adults is decreasing over time
The virus became drug resistant – Diphtheria began to become resistant to many types of antibiotics
Parents often consider the disease as normal cough and cold and take medicine from the doctor. Since the child was not given diphtheria vaccine, over time the toxin released from the bacteria starts affecting the functioning of the kidneys, heart and nervous system.
what kind of disease is this
– Diphtheria is an acute infectious disease that affects the upper respiratory system. this disease
Corynebacterium diphtheria is caused by bacteria.
– Before vaccines, a lot of children died due to diphtheria. Now with routine child vaccination it has become rare in most developed countries. However, several outbreaks of diphtheria have been seen in India in recent years.
increasing again around the world
The number of diphtheria cases reported globally is gradually increasing.
– In 2018, 16,651 cases were reported, which was more than double the annual average for 1996-2017 (8,105 cases).
what is the situation in india
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2,365 cases were reported in India in 2015. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 this number increased to 3,380, 5,293 and 8,788. According to the World Health Organization, in 2017, 60% of diphtheria cases worldwide were in India. In 2018, more than 50 children died of diphtheria in Delhi.
how does this happen
Diphtheria is mainly caused by a bacteria called Rhinebacterium diphtheriae.
what are the symptoms
Common cold, fever, chills, swollen glands in the neck, sore throat, bluish discoloration of the skin, etc.
– Primary infection occurs in the throat and upper respiratory tract. It starts producing bacteria, which affects other organs
– Diphtheria mainly affects the throat
– Due to this the patient may die due to suffocation.
How does it spread?
– Spread by coughing and sneezing, or by close contact with an infected person.
Who is affected the most?
– Diphtheria especially affects children aged 1 to 5 years
– People above 60 years of age are also at risk.
– People living in crowded or unhygienic environments are at greater risk of diphtheria.
what is the treatment
Diphtheria antitoxin is used to neutralize the effect of the poison, and antibiotics are also used to kill the bacteria.
When did its vaccine come to India
Diphtheria vaccine is one of the oldest vaccines in India’s vaccination programme. Its coverage is 78.4%. India started an expanded vaccination program in 1978. In 1985 this program was changed to Universal Immunization Program (UIP). It is now included as a pentavalent vaccine, which includes vaccines against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B.
Recommendations for dealing with diphtheria
Adding two booster doses of the vaccine at the ages of 10 and 16 to the routine vaccination schedule.
Integrating vaccination programs with school health programmes.
Tag: serious illness, diseases increased, mysterious fever
first published : October 15, 2024, 7:16 pm IST
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