Peru on alert after confirming first case of diphtheria in 20 years | CNN

Luis Suárez Ognio, Vice Minister of Health of Peru, reports on the first case of diphtheria in Peru in 20 years.

(CNN Spanish) -

Peru confirmed the first case of diphtheria after 20 years.

The Vice Minister of Public Health Luis Suárez reported this Tuesday at a press conference that the patient is a minor under 5 years of age from Lima.

She had only received her vaccine at birth and she is hospitalized and stable.

The girl had experienced the first symptoms on October 19, 2 days later she had a fever and sore throat, and on the 25th she went to a hospital where a sample was taken with which the infection was later confirmed.

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The deadly disease diphtheria affects the nose and throat.

Due to vaccines, cases of this disease are rare in developed countries, but in 2011 the WHO reported nearly 5,000 cases and many more are probably unreported.

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Although it is almost always thought of as a medieval disease, the World Health Organization reports between 1,000 and 3,000 global cases of bubonic plague each year.

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A health and epidemiology team identified a second minor, a relative of the first, who is now under investigation as well as all her possible contacts.

The vice minister added that as the girl received visits from people from other regions of the country, a national epidemiological alert was issued so that all health services know of the presence of a suspected case and can notify it immediately so that you can take preventive measures And control.

In addition, brigades were deployed in the area to go house to house and identify unvaccinated children so that they receive the corresponding doses.

The last case registered in Peru was in 2000, Suárez said.

What is diphtheria?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Its signs and symptoms can range from mild to severe and usually appear 2 to 5 days after exposure.

They usually present gradually, beginning with a sore throat and fever.

In severe cases, the bacteria generate a toxin that forms a thick gray or white plaque in the back of the throat.

Sometimes if it blocks the airway, makes it difficult to breathe or swallow, and it can also lead to a dry cough.

To prevent the disease, the WHO recommends that all children receive a basic round of 3 doses of vaccine administered in the first year of life and later, either in childhood or adolescence, another 3 boosters of one that contains toxoid diphtheria.

Diphtheria