Diphtheria - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2022

Surveillance report

22 Apr 2024

Time period covered: This report is based on data for 2022 retrieved from The European Surveillance System (TESSy) on 22 January 2024.

Cite:

In 2022, 359 cases of diphtheria due to toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae (n=318) or C. ulcerans (n=11) were reported to ECDC.

Executive summary

Since the second half of 2022, an increase of diphtheria among migrants was reported in several EU/EEA countries, with peaking case numbers in September to December.
The highest proportion of C. diphtheriae cases was among 15- to 44-year-old males. C. ulcerans cases were more common in adults aged 65 years and above.
Among C. diphtheriae cases with importation status available, 62% were reported as imported (having been outside the country of notification during the incubation period with no links to local transmission), with 78% of the imported cases presenting with a cutaneous infection.
Vaccination status was available for 39% of all cases. Seventy-five percent of the cases with known vaccination status were not vaccinated or were vaccinated with an unknown number of doses.
Vaccination with the diphtheria toxoid vaccine is the only effective method of preventing the toxin-mediated disease. Achieving and sustaining high vaccination coverage in the population is critical for preventing toxigenic diphtheria from causing serious or fatal illness.