A case of diphtheria in Sweden, October 2011.
In October 2011, a child who had arrived in Sweden from Somalia presented with atypical tonsillitis, was treated with penicillin and the symptoms resolved. A throat swab was positive for toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The child's family were then vaccinated with diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine and screened for C. diphtheriae. No secondary cases were found. A high level of adherence to childhood vaccination programmes is an effective way to protect populations against diphtheria.
Örebro University Hospital, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Microbiology, Örebro, Sweden. hans.fredlund@orebroll.se
H
H
Fredlund
T
T
Norén
T
T
Lepp
E
E
Morfeldt
B
B
Henriques Normark
D002648:Child; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D013548:Sweden