Epidemiological, clinical, and public health response characteristics of a large outbreak of diphtheria among the Rohingya population in Cox ’s Bazar, Bangladesh, 2017 to 2019: A retrospective study

ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the largest reported diphtheria outbreak in refugee settings. We observed that high population density, poor living conditions, and fast growth rate were associated with explosive expansion of the outbreak during the initial exponential growth phase. Three rounds of mass vaccinations targeting those aged 6 weeks to 14 years were associated with only modestly reduced transmission, and additional public health measures were necessary to end the outbreak. This outbreak has a long-lasting tail, with Rt oscillating at around 1 for an extended period. An adequate global DAT stockpile needs to be maintained. All populations must have access to health services and routine vaccination, and this access must be maintained during humanitarian crises.
Source: PLoS Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Source Type: research