Diphtheria and its prevention

Abstract

The article analyzes statistical data on the incidence of diphtheria in the Russia at the end of the XX and the beginning of XXI century, provides absolute and relative intensive incidence rates in the country level, examines the patterns of the epidemic process, and defines the role of population antitoxic postvaccination immunity in the prevention of this infection. A comparative characteristic of the incidence in various age groups of the population, as well as the immunological status of all age groups are given. By 1975, 198 cases of diphtheria were registered in the USSR. However, starting in 1976, the incidence began to grow rapidly, and peaked by 1985 when the level of immunity among adult population was no more than 25%. In the 1990s, there was a new upswing with a peak recorded in 1994 with about 40 thousand diphtheria cases registered. From 1990 to 1996, 111,154 diphtheria cases were registered, including 35,928 children, 15,776 adolescents, and 59,450 adults; 3,047 people died, including 729 children, 37 adolescents and 2,281 adults. Later, 80.0 million people were vaccinated, which accounted for about 90% of the adult population. As a result, there has been a significant decrease in morbidity, since 2003 reaching sporadic rates. Over the past 5 years, there has been a stable epidemic situation in the Russia with the registration of sporadic morbidity, which is explained by the high level of specific protection of the population. However, despite the decrease in the overall incidence of diphtheria in the country, it remains an socially significant healthcare problem.