Surveillance against diphtheria is essential in Western Europe. This is the observation of a study published on Tuesday, June 3 at the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). As the researchers explain, including the French of the Institute of Pasteur and Public Health France, the epidemic of this disease, “the most important in Western Europe for 70 years,” he spread by vulnerable people.
She “declared itself in 2022 among migrants and extended in 2023 to other vulnerable populations in several European countries, the results of the pollution that occurred during migration trips or in European destination countries, and not in countries of origin,” said a press release.
Diphthe is a disease that develops after bacteria pollution, is manifested by a respiratory infection “that induces attacks by the central nervous system, throat or other organs, causing death by suffocation” according to the Pasteur Institute. Skin infections, more frequent and less serious, must also be taken into account.
“The bacteria continues to circulate under noise in Western Europe”
The data analyzed by researchers based on 362 patients in ten European countries show that 98% of the samples were men, with a median of 18 years, whose extreme majority (96%) had recently emigrated to Europe.
The epidemic has mainly affected the migrant populations of Syria and Afghanistan, but their contamination took place in their countries of origin, “but during migration trips or in accommodation in European countries,” reveals this study.
“The most likely hypothesis is that this point of contact is one or more places frequented by migrants during their trip from their country of origin or in destination countries,” explain epidemiologists.
The exact magnitude of the epidemic in these vulnerable people could not be specified due to the small number of projections with this population. However, researchers believe that “bacteria continues to circulate at low noise in Western Europe.”
Surveillance and importance of vaccination
What lessons should we learn from this study? Public health experts require better health action in support of these vulnerable populations. The results “highlight the need to strengthen the monitoring of infectious diseases in vulnerable populations, improve access to care and vaccination for migrant populations” and monitor greater surveillance the appearance of antibiotic resistance bacteria.
Isabelle Parent du Châtelet, an official of the Public Health Agency, France, insists on the importance of vaccination in the general population and, in particular, among these groups, but also fixed households, drug users or people suffering from comorbidities.
In France, the protection against diphtheria is integrated into the “DTP” called SO, diphtheria, tetanus and polio. This is mandatory (two doses) for all children born after January 1, 2018. In France, the protection against diphtheria has been mandatory since 1938. It is particularly effective since it was barely observed 69 cases in the territory in the 2010-2020 decade, all imported deaths, associated.
Source: BFM TV
