Diphtheria infections rise in Britain, says UK health agency citing migrant cases

Diphtheria is very rare infection in England due to routine immunisation introduced in 1942.

The number of diphtheria cases in England has risen this year, health officials said on Monday citing dozens of cases found among asylum seekers arriving into the country but adding that the risk of infection to the wider public remained very low.

Data released by the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there were around 50 cases among asylum seekers who arrived in England between Jan. 1 and Nov. 25, compared with an average of 2 to 11 cases in the country per year over the last decade. Diphtheria is an infectious disease that affects the upper respiratory tract and occasionally the skin. There are vaccines to help protect people against it, British health authorities said.

“In order to limit the risk of diphtheria being passed on within asylum seeker settings, UKHSA continues to recommend that individuals arriving at Reception Centres, and who have moved on recently, are offered a diphtheria vaccine and preventative treatment," Trish Mannes, UKHSA Director for the South East, said. Diphtheria is very rare infection in England due to routine immunisation introduced in 1942.