The Hindu : Spurt in diphtheria cases sets experts thinking

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 19, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Spurt in diphtheria cases sets experts thinking

By T. Lalith Singh

HYDERABAD April 18. Concerned at the rising incidence of diphtheria in the last few years, experts at the Sir Ronald Ross Institute for Tropical and Communicable Diseases are initiating a study on the disease.

Statistics show a sharp rise in diphtheria cases admitted at the institute during the last six years. The year 1997 saw 373 cases getting admitted and the figures rose each year with 387 diphtheria cases in 1998, 481 cases in 1999, 489 cases in 2000, 519 cases in 2001 and 610 cases in 2002. However, there has not been much rise in reports of deaths due to diphtheria during the corresponding period. In 1997, about 11 lives were lost due to the disease followed with 1998 (13 deaths), 1999 (8 deaths), 2000 (7 deaths), 2001 (9 deaths) and 2002 (21 deaths).

These being the cases reported at the institute, staff here admit that the incidence will be much higher as many patients get treatment at private clinics and hospitals. Diphtheria, a bacterial ailment, comes with common symptoms of pain in throat, difficulty in swallowing and a nagging rise in temperature and could turn life-threatening in some cases that do not get medical attention.

Diphtheria, till some time ago, was considered a childhood disease. "In fact, we were taught at medical college that the disease would affect only those below five years. Now, even the grown- ups are getting afflicted with it,'' says Achyut Rao, Microbiology Professor.

The present effort of the institute was aimed at understanding the change in disease profile and also to study why it was affecting persons with immunisation. Dr .Achyut Rao says, "we plan to study as to how many persons are getting admitted to hospitals with diphtheria despite immunisation.''

According to him, there may be several reasons behind the rise in incidence and the disease affecting despite immunisation. "Perhaps, the immunity is on the wane or it could also be due to absence of booster doses in between,'' Dr. Rao says.

The institute Superintendent, K.N. Sudha Ramana, says the study will start once necessary equipment of Polymerised Chain Reaction (PCR) diagnosis is installed. "Perhaps, in a month's time,'' she says.

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