Wrocław. The condition of a child with a diameter is improved

Doctors determine the condition of a six -year -old child infected with diphtheria as good. It is not known, however, when a small patient is discharged from the hospital, because diphtheria complications may appear for the next two weeks.

On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Provincial Specialist Hospital named after J. Gromkowski in Wrocław Janina Kulińska. As she said, the child's condition is getting better, the child is circulatory and breathing. On Monday, he will be moved to a pediatric ward for further observation.

Read more: A six -year -old child infected with diphtheria is in a serious condition

A six -year -old child infected with diphtheria

On March 14, head of the Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases of the University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław, prof. Leszek Szenborn announced that a six -year -old child is infected with diphtheria. – We found symptoms of a diphtheria and larynx in a six -year -old child who returned from staying in Africa. Unfortunately, it was not vaccinated – said prof. Szenborn.

“Initially, a child in late -school age went to the POZ doctor, who sent the patient to the hospital (…). During one day we excluded all potentially possible to examine the cause of the deteriorating respiratory performance, we suspected diphtheria, included targeted treatment and took anti -nutoxine” – described the drug. Bożena Głowska, emphasizing that at that time the microbiological laboratory confirmed the presence of a diphtheria club in a material downloaded since childhood.

Szenborn emphasized that diphtheria is a dangerous disease that caused epidemics and frequent deaths until the 1950s. Adults who have not undergone vaccinations also suffer from it. – In the 1950s, we had tens of thousands of cases in Poland, and 1.5 to 3,000 patients died a year. Thanks to vaccinations, the situation was mastered. The last wave of mass cases in Europe was in 1993-1996, when after the collapse of the former USSR there were over 150,000 cases in these countries. Individual cases also penetrated Poland due to migration, among others Belarus – said the doctor.

He noted that compulsory diphtheria vaccination is crucial for protection.

– It was a child, although it was unvaccinated, stayed in Poland for six years and grew up among healthy people, because vaccinated. As soon as it was in other conditions, the situation changed – assessed prof. Szenborn.

A patient was also in the hospital in Wrocław, who got infected with diphtheria from a sick child.

Serious infectious disease

Diphist, also referred to as diffter, Krup or Dławiec, is a serious infectious disease, the course of which is acute and severe. It is caused by the bacteria of Corynebacterium Diphtheriae (diphtheria clubs). The incubation period of this disease usually ranges from 2 to 5 days.

According to the Chief Sanitary Inspector, the basic form is the diphtheria of the upper respiratory tract – throat and larynx. The disease begins with a high fever, sore throat, difficulties in swallowing and enlargement of lymph nodes and the formation of strongly adherent, gray, translucent or black necrotic changes on tonsils and the mucosa of the throat.

Mandatory vaccinations for children

Even in the 1950s, about 40,000 diphtheria cases and three thousand deaths a year were recorded in Poland.

After the introduction of universal vaccination in 1954, the situation significantly improved. Now cases of incidence are very rare. According to the data of the National Institute of Public Health – PZH in 2024, two diphtheria cases were recorded in Poland, in 2023 – one, and in 2022 none. In turn, some sources say that the confirmed case of diphtheria in Poland has not been since 2001.

Diphane vaccination is mandatory in Poland. According to the vaccination calendar, each child should be vaccinated with four doses of vaccine in the early months of life (from the second to eighteenth – basic vaccination) and a dose in the age of six.

Doses resembling vaccines every 10 years are recommended due to the disappearance of immunity over time.

It is the obligation to vaccinate against diphtheria. Children and adolescents aged 1-19. Although in Poland this disease is no longer a serious threat, it still occurs in other parts of the world.

Adults traveling to the countries of diphtheria should consider supplementing vaccinations before traveling abroad. To do this, contact a travel medicine doctor or tropical medicine doctor. A visit to this specialist should take place no later than 6-8 weeks before the planned journey, which will allow you to accept prevention recommended by the doctor

Chief Sanitary Inspectorate