Man in critical condition in Prince Charles Hospital with diphtheria
A man in a critical condition with the infectious disease diphtheria has been transferred overnight from Cairns Hospital to Brisbane’s Prince Charles Hospital.
He had spent a week in Cairns Hospital.
There had been 20 cases of diphtheria in Australia since 2014, but only 13 cases in the 23 years before that.
Photo: Louie DouvisThe man had not been vaccinated for the disease, the director of Cairns and Hinterland Hospital Services Dr Richard Gair said on Thursday.
“The infection was acquired in Australia, with the patient having no recent history of overseas travel,” Dr Gair said.
The man’s close friends and relatives were being traced by the Cairns and Hinterland Health Service because of the risk of infection.
“All people potentially at risk of being infected due to close contact with the patient are being identified, clinically tested, treated appropriately with preventative antibiotics and being vaccinated,” Dr Gair said.
“There is minimal risk to the broader community who were not close contacts of the patient.”
Diphtheria is a serious communicable bacterial disease that causes severe inflammation of the nose, throat and the windpipe, he said.
Dr Gair said diphtheria was extremely rare in most developed countries, including Australia, because of the widespread use of the vaccine.
However, there had been 20 cases in Australia since 2014, but only 13 cases in the 23 years before that, according to the federal government’s Notifiable Diseases Databank.
“In Australia, young children and adolescents receive free diphtheria vaccination under the National Immunisation Program, with catch-up vaccination available up to 20 years of age,” Dr Gair said.
“Adult doses are given in combination with tetanus vaccination, and are available for adults over 19 years of age.”
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