A toddler in Australia has fallen victim to a deadly illness that had long been thought eradicated. The two-year-old patient from northern North South Wales is now being treated in an intensive care unit, due to diphtheria of the throat, which has returned. The absence of the disease in NSW for more than one hundred years has made it a major cause for concern among those susceptible to rare diseases.
The toddler who got the disease had not been immunized against diphtheria. The Northern NSW Health District has issued a statement to confirm that the sick kid is undergoing treatment in a Queensland hospital at this time.
“Diphtheria is very rare in Australia due to our longstanding childhood immunization program,” Director of North Coast Public Health Dr. Paul Douglas stated. “However, the disease has very serious outcomes and can be fatal.”
Diphtheria bacteria are extremely transmissible. The disease is transferred from person to person through the air by coughing and sneezing. The germs can survive on surfaces, so if someone with diphtheria dusts a surface, people around them risk catching it.
In NSW, doctors are currently working to save the youngster’s life. They’re administering antitoxin, medicine, and respiratory support to the tiny one. Family members and those who work with the kid were given antibiotics and immunizations to help prevent the spread of bacterial illness.
Dr. Douglas did not want the public to be alarmed, but he advised parents to double-check their children’s immunization records and get them vaccinated against diphtheria if they have never had it before.
“The diphtheria vaccination is free and readily available from your GP for everyone from six weeks of age,” said the doctor. “It is important everyone keeps up to date with their vaccinations.”
Diphtheria has been a serious threat to children for a long time, and it was a common cause of death in youngsters until the 1940s. Vaccination was developed at that time to help prevent kids from getting the disease by vaccination and allowing it to fester in their bodies until it becomes fatal.
Because of Australia’s high immunization rate, a case of diphtheria like this is uncommon. The condition mostly appears in nations that do not prioritize immunizations and have low levels of herd immunity.
Diphtheria can cause a variety of symptoms, but the throat and tonsils are among the most severe. Children who have diphtheria usually experience a sore throat, decreased appetite, and a mild temperature. However, things begin to change two to three days after that. A white-gray membrane forms over their throats at this time, making it difficult for them to swallow.
Adults receive a combined diphtheria vaccination with tetanus and pertussis vaccines.
