Diphtheria in a Swiss Asylum Seeker Reception Centre: Outbreak Investigation and Evaluation of Testing and Vaccination Strategies
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Diphtheria in a Swiss Asylum Seeker Reception Centre: Outbreak Investigation and Evaluation of Testing and Vaccination Strategies. / Brockhaus, Lisa; Urwyler, Pascal; Leutwyler, Ulrike; Würfel, Eva; Kohns Vasconcelos, Malte; Goldenberger, Daniel; Keller, Peter Michael; Tschudin Sutter, Sarah; Labhardt, Niklaus Daniel.
in: INT J PUBLIC HEALTH, Jahrgang 69, 24.04.2024, S. 1606791.Publikationen: SCORING: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift/Zeitung › SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz › Forschung › Begutachtung
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Diphtheria in a Swiss Asylum Seeker Reception Centre: Outbreak Investigation and Evaluation of Testing and Vaccination Strategies
AU - Brockhaus, Lisa
AU - Urwyler, Pascal
AU - Leutwyler, Ulrike
AU - Würfel, Eva
AU - Kohns Vasconcelos, Malte
AU - Goldenberger, Daniel
AU - Keller, Peter Michael
AU - Tschudin Sutter, Sarah
AU - Labhardt, Niklaus Daniel
N1 - Copyright © 2024 Brockhaus, Urwyler, Leutwyler, Würfel, Kohns Vasconcelos, Goldenberger, Keller, Tschudin Sutter and Labhardt.
PY - 2024/4/24
Y1 - 2024/4/24
N2 - Objectives: To describe a suspected diphtheria outbreak in a Swiss asylum seeker reception centre, and to analyse its management response regarding testing and vaccination. Methods: We retrospectively analysed clinical, microbiology, and case management data of all asylum seekers tested for C. diphtheriae between 28th August and 31st December 2022 while residing at the centre. Results are reported descriptively. Results: Among 265 individuals tested, ten cases of cutaneous diphtheria, one simultaneous respiratory and cutaneous case, and nine respiratory carriers were identified. Mass throat screening, targeted throat testing and targeted wound testing yielded 4.8%, 4.3%, and 17.4% positive results, respectively. No respiratory carrier was identified among cutaneous cases undergoing a throat swab, and no symptomatic case was identified among individuals with unspecific throat symptoms. Rates of vaccination implementation of newly arriving asylum seekers before and after the outbreak were low (17.5% and 15.5%, respectively), as were rates of targeted vaccination among cases and close contacts. Conclusion: We provide evidence for transmission both prior to arrival and within the setting, suboptimal practices and timeliness of testing, and implementation gaps in vaccination.
AB - Objectives: To describe a suspected diphtheria outbreak in a Swiss asylum seeker reception centre, and to analyse its management response regarding testing and vaccination. Methods: We retrospectively analysed clinical, microbiology, and case management data of all asylum seekers tested for C. diphtheriae between 28th August and 31st December 2022 while residing at the centre. Results are reported descriptively. Results: Among 265 individuals tested, ten cases of cutaneous diphtheria, one simultaneous respiratory and cutaneous case, and nine respiratory carriers were identified. Mass throat screening, targeted throat testing and targeted wound testing yielded 4.8%, 4.3%, and 17.4% positive results, respectively. No respiratory carrier was identified among cutaneous cases undergoing a throat swab, and no symptomatic case was identified among individuals with unspecific throat symptoms. Rates of vaccination implementation of newly arriving asylum seekers before and after the outbreak were low (17.5% and 15.5%, respectively), as were rates of targeted vaccination among cases and close contacts. Conclusion: We provide evidence for transmission both prior to arrival and within the setting, suboptimal practices and timeliness of testing, and implementation gaps in vaccination.
KW - Humans
KW - Switzerland
KW - Refugees/statistics & numerical data
KW - Diphtheria/prevention & control
KW - Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control
KW - Retrospective Studies
KW - Male
KW - Female
KW - Adult
KW - Adolescent
KW - Young Adult
KW - Vaccination/statistics & numerical data
KW - Corynebacterium diphtheriae
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Mass Screening
U2 - 10.3389/ijph.2024.1606791
DO - 10.3389/ijph.2024.1606791
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 38721474
VL - 69
SP - 1606791
JO - INT J PUBLIC HEALTH
JF - INT J PUBLIC HEALTH
SN - 1661-8556
ER -