Diphtheria in the United States, 1971-81.

Abstract

After a decade-long resurgence, including a large cutaneous diphtheria outbreak in Washington State, the diphtheria incidence rate in the United States reached its lowest recorded level ever in 1980-two patients (0.01 case per million). Mortality paralleled the decline in incidence rate. Only 143 of the 3,141 US counties reported noncutaneous diphtheria patients during 1971-81; most were located in the West. The highest attack rates were experienced by children less than 15 years old (0.8 case per million) and by American Indians (22.6 cases per million). Persons immunized with three or more doses of diphtheria toxoid had a lower death-to-case

Characterization of Corynebacterium diphtheriae Isolates from Infected Skin Lesions in the Northern Territory of Australia

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Persistence of a Distinct Corynebacterium diphtheriae Clonal Group within Two Communities in the United States and Canada Where Diphtheria Is Endemic

“…In the 1970s, nearly 1,300 cases of diphtheria in the United States (5) and 444 in Canada (3,6,9,19) were reported. Since the mid-1980s, the number of cases in both countries has declined to fewer than 50 (2,4,11,20).…”

Resurgent diphetheria - are we safe?

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