Investigation of a Large Diphtheria Outbreak and Cocirculation of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum Among Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals, 2017–2019

Weil, Lauren M.; Williams, Margaret M.; Shirin, Tahmina; Lawrence, Marlon; Habib, Zakir H.; Aneke, Janessa S.; Tondella, Maria L.; Zaki, Quazi; Cassiday, Pamela K.; Lonsway, David; Farrque, Mirza; Hossen, Tanvir; Feldstein, Leora R.; Cook, Nicholas; Maldonado-Quiles, Gladys; Alam, Ahmed N.; Muraduzzaman, A. K. M.; Akram, Arifa; Conklin, Laura; Doan, Stephanie; Friedman, Michael; Acosta, Anna M.; Hariri, Susan; Fox, LeAnne M.; Tiwari, Tejpratap S. P.; Flora, Meerjady S.

doi:10.1093/infdis/jiaa729

Advanced Search

Select up to three search categories and corresponding keywords using the fields to the right. Refer to the Help section for more detailed instructions.

Search our Collections & Repository

Advanced Search
Custom Query

All these words:

For very narrow results

This exact word or phrase:

When looking for a specific result

Any of these words:

Best used for discovery & interchangable words

None of these words:

Recommended to be used in conjunction with other fields

Language:

Dates

Publication Date Range:

to

Document Data

Title:

Document Type:

Library

Collection:

Series:

People

Author:

Clear All

Query Builder

Query box

Clear All

For additional assistance using the Custom Query please check out our Help Page

i

Investigation of a Large Diphtheria Outbreak and Cocirculation of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum Among Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals, 2017–2019

7 15 2021
By Weil, Lauren M. ; Williams, Margaret M. ; Shirin, Tahmina ; ...
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiaa729
Source: J Infect Dis. 224(2):318-325

[PDF-112.79 KB]

English

Details Supporting Files You May Also Like

Details:

Alternative Title:

J Infect Dis
Personal Author:

Weil, Lauren M. ; Williams, Margaret M. ; Shirin, Tahmina ; Lawrence, Marlon ; Habib, Zakir H. ; ... More +

Weil, Lauren M. ; Williams, Margaret M. ; Shirin, Tahmina ; Lawrence, Marlon ; Habib, Zakir H. ; Aneke, Janessa S. ; Tondella, Maria L. ; Zaki, Quazi ; Cassiday, Pamela K. ; Lonsway, David ; Farrque, Mirza ; Hossen, Tanvir ; Feldstein, Leora R. ; Cook, Nicholas ; Maldonado-Quiles, Gladys ; Alam, Ahmed N. ; Muraduzzaman, A. K. M. ; Akram, Arifa ; Conklin, Laura ; Doan, Stephanie ; Friedman, Michael ; Acosta, Anna M. ; Hariri, Susan ; Fox, LeAnne M. ; Tiwari, Tejpratap S. P. ; Flora, Meerjady S. Less -
Description:

Background.

Diphtheria, a life-threatening respiratory disease, is caused mainly by toxin-producing strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae, while nontoxigenic corynebacteria (eg, Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum) rarely causes diphtheria-like illness. Recently, global diphtheria outbreaks have resulted from breakdown of health care infrastructures, particularly in countries experiencing political conflict. This report summarizes a laboratory and epidemiological investigation of a diphtheria outbreak among forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Bangladesh.

Methods.

Specimens and clinical information were collected from patients presenting at diphtheria treatment centers. Swabs were tested for toxin gene (tox)-bearing C. diphtheriae by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and culture. The isolation of another Corynebacterium species prompted further laboratory investigation.

Results.

Among 382 patients, 153 (40%) tested tox positive for C. diphtheriae by RT-PCR; 31 (20%) PCR-positive swabs were culture confirmed. RT-PCR revealed 78% (298/382) of patients tested positive for C. pseudodiphtheriticum. Of patients positive for only C. diphtheriae, 63% (17/27) had severe disease compared to 55% (69/126) positive for both Corynebacterium species, and 38% (66/172) for only C. pseudodiphtheriticum.

Conclusions.

We report confirmation of a diphtheria outbreak and identification of a cocirculating Corynebacterium species. The high proportion of C. pseudodiphtheriticum codetection may explain why many suspected patients testing negative for C. diphtheriae presented with diphtheria-like symptoms.
Keywords:

[+]

Corynebacterium Corynebacterium Diphtheriae Corynebacterium Pseudodiphtheriticum Diphtheria Diphtheria Outbreak Diphtheria Toxin Disease Outbreaks Humans Myanmar Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Source:

J Infect Dis. 224(2):318-325
Pubmed ID:

33245764
Pubmed Central ID:

PMC10846527
Document Type:

Journal Article
Funding:

CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/
Volume:

224
Issue:

2
Collection(s):

CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:

[+]

urn:sha256:408fb31862e3766f4aca922885794aa8b6cdef0f7162f87e7883f524c893d75f
Download URL:

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/147746/cdc_147746_DS1.pdf
File Type:

	nihms-1963214.nxml	xml
	NIHMS1963214-supplement-jiaa729SupplFigS1.docx	docx
	NIHMS1963214-supplement-jiaa729SupplTableS1.docx	docx

More +