Diphtheria alarm in Berlin: Two cases shock parents and schools!

Diphtheria alarm in Berlin: Two cases shock parents and schools!

A new case of diphtheria was recorded in Berlin, which came from the environment of an already ill student at a Waldorf school. The Havelland district announced that there was another positive test result as part of contact tracing. Fortunately, the affected person only showed a mild course of the disease due to their vaccination and has since tested negative again.

The original case occurred recently when a ten-year-old student was hospitalized due to acute pharyngitis. The suspicion of respiratory diphtheria was confirmed by laboratory analysis after the hospital gave a corresponding tip. Due to his health, this child had to be transferred to a specialized clinic in Berlin, where he had to undergo temporary invasive ventilation. The Charité, where the student is being treated, did not comment on the exact conditions of the treatment due to medical confidentiality.

Severity of the disease

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infectious disease that not only causes throat and breathing problems, but can also lead to serious health complications. Sick people may initially notice a sore throat, fever and wheezing, which can be accompanied by swelling of the throat. Certain symptoms, particularly those associated with pharyngeal diphtheria, are life-threatening if left untreated. Historically, diphtheria was once known as the “strangling angel of children” because it caused numerous deaths among children in the early 1900s.

The number of diphtheria cases in Germany has declined significantly in recent decades, largely thanks to the introduction of vaccination in 1913. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there were 37 confirmed cases of diphtheria in Germany that year, with two of them recorded in Berlin. For comparison: In recent years, the number of new infections annually has been in the single or double digits, with exceptions in 2022 and 2023, when over 100 cases were detected.

Vaccination and prevention

Vaccinations are considered an important part of health protection and are recommended for young children and adults. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends basic immunization for infants up to a booster every ten years. These measures have contributed significantly to reducing the frequency of diphtheria cases in the population and thus also significantly reducing the potential dangers of this infection. However, the latest incident shows that the danger posed by this disease has not been completely eliminated and therefore raising awareness about vaccinations remains important.

For further details and current information on this case, an in-depth report is available www.merkur.de available.