title: Diphtheria in the former Soviet Union: reemergence of a pandemic disease.
abstract: The massive reemergence of diphtheria in the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union marked the first large-scale diphtheria epidemic in industrialized countries in 3 decades. Factors contributing to the epidemic included a large population of susceptible adults; decreased childhood immunization, which compromised what had been a well-established childhood vaccination program; suboptimal socioeconomic conditions; and high population movement. The role of a change in the predominant circulating strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae in this epidemic remains uncertain. Massive, well-coordinated international assistance and unprecedented efforts to vaccinate adults were needed to control the epidemic.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. cxv3@cdc.gov
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Vitek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wharton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D014586:USSR / Q000453:epidemiology