Diphtheria in Canada

Breaking News – there is a new case of diphtheria in Canada (June 2018), and no, according to health officials, this one is not cutaneous diphtheria.

A lot of people were surprised by the news of a case of diphtheria in Canada last year.

Some folks were quick to blame the anti-vaccine movement, assuming it was in an unvaccinated child.

News soon came that the child was vaccinated!

“I’ve always been on top of that, I’m a firm believer in immunizations.”

Mother of 10-year-old with diphtheria

What happened next?

Anti-vaccine folks began using the fact that he was vaccinated, but still developed diphtheria, as some kind of proof that vaccines don’t work.

The Case of Diphtheria in Canada

They are wrong.

The diphtheria vaccines have worked very well to control and eliminate diphtheria from Canada, just like it has in the United States.

Diphtheria has become rare since the pre-vaccine era.

So how did a vaccinated child in Canada get diphtheria?

It’s simple.

He has cutaneous diphtheria, not respiratory diphtheria.

What’s the difference?

“Extensive membrane production and organ damage are caused by local and systemic actions of a potent exotoxin produced by toxigenic strains of C. diphtheriae. A cutaneous form of diphtheria commonly occurs in warmer climates or tropical countries.”

Vaccines Seventh Edition

Cutaneous diphtheria occurs on your skin. It is usually caused by non-toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

On the other hand, respiratory diphtheria is usually caused by toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

The diphtheria vaccine (the ‘D’ in DTaP and Tdap), a toxoid vaccine, covers toxigenic strains. More specifically, it covers the toxin that is produced by toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It is this toxin that produces the pseudomembrane that is characteristic of diphtheria.

It was the formation of this pseudomembrane in a child’s airway that gave diphtheria the nickname of the “strangling angel.”

So why the fuss over this case in Canada? They likely don’t yet know if it is a toxigenic strain. If it is, then it could be a source of respiratory diphtheria.

But remember, even if these kids developed an infection with the toxigenic strain of Corynebacterium diphtheriae, those that are fully vaccinated likely wouldn’t develop respiratory diphtheria. Again, it is the toxin that the bacteria produces that cause the symptoms of diphtheria. The vaccine protects against that toxin.

For example, when an intentionally unvaccinated 6-year-old in Spain was hospitalized with severe diphtheria symptoms a few years ago, although many of his friends also got infected, non of them actually developed symptoms because they were all vaccinated.

Diphtheria Is Still Around

Tragically though, especially since diphtheria is still endemic in many countries, we are starting to see more and more lethal cases of diphtheria, including cases in many more countries where it was previously under control:

at least 142 diphtheria deaths in Venezuela since 2016, among about 1,602 cases
at least 85 deaths in Yemen, among about 1,584 cases since 2017
at least six deaths among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
at least two cases of diphtheria in Ukraine
a family that became infected in South Africa in which at least one child died (August 2017)
an unvaccinated 3-year-old who died in Belgium (2016)
a 22-year-old unvaccinated women who died in Australia (2011)

It is even more tragic that diphtheria is not under control in so many more countries.

In 2016, the WHO reported that there were just over 7,000 cases of diphtheria worldwide. While that is down from the 30,000 cases and 3,000 deaths in 2000, thanks to improved vaccination rates, there is still work to be done.

And as this recent case in Canada shows, diphtheria is still around in many more places than we would like to imagine.

Get educated. Vaccines are necessary.

What to Know About Diphtheria in Canada

A case of diphtheria in Canada is a good reminder that vaccines are still necessary.