After both Switzerland and Germany reported recent cases of antibiotic-resistant diphtheria, the UK Health Security Agency has alerted NHS laboratories to be on the look out, expressing concern over research relating to the antibiotic-resistant strains.
Last week, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published a warning over the antibiotic-resistant cases found in Switzerland and Germany and warned the occurrence of similar strains cannot be ruled out for other European countries.
While only one case in the UK has been identified as having a similar drug resistance profile, whole genome sequencing and further antibiotic sensitivity data will be systematically collected to investigate this further, the agency said.
Diphtheria is highly contagious, affecting the nose, throat and sometimes causes ulcers on the skin, reports The Independent.
The ECDC has recommended, as a precautionary measure, that antimicrobial susceptibility testing be performed on all diphtheria samples.
It comes after the inquest into the death of a man, who had diphtheria and had been held in an asylum-seeking processing centre for a week, opened in the UK last week.
The Independent also revealed last week that the government had failed to act on a warning in October that asylum seekers in reception centres should be vaccinated against diphtheria.
A risk assessment issued by the ECDC on 6 October said the illness was spreading among migrants and a “severe outcome” was possible for those living in crowded facilities.
At least 57 cases of diphtheria in asylum seekers have been confirmed by UKHSA up to 28 November, with one suspected death.
Some 44 of the cases have been recorded in the southeast and half a dozen in other regions. The briefing note to laboratory staff at UKHSA said: “Cases continue to be identified at both initial reception settings and also in hotel accommodation throughout the (asylum-seeker) pathway.
“Although most cases have been generally mild in presentation (including 25 cutaneous cases), three severe respiratory cases have been identified. This includes two classical respiratory diphtheria cases requiring diphtheria anti-toxin (DAT) and one fatality without culture confirmation but a throat swab was PCR positive for the toxin gene (final cause of death pending).”
The UKHSA is now advising the mass prescription of preventative antibiotics and vaccinations at asylum centres, and recommending antibiotics for people who arrived after 31 October and those who were subsequently sent to hotel accommodation.
UKHSA added: “It is advised that priority within these groups be given to children under five, families with children under 12, and those arriving from Afghanistan and Syria where diphtheria is particularly prevalent and recent health infrastructure has been disrupted.”
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