Volume 24, Number 7—July 2018
Dispatch
Diphtheria Outbreak in Amerindian Communities, Wonken, Venezuela, 2016–2017
Adriana Lodeiro-Colatosti, Udo Reischl, Thomas Holzmann, Carlos E. Hernández-Pereira, Alejandro Rísquez, and Alberto E. Paniz-Mondolfi
Table
Demographics and clinical characteristics of 10 Amerindians with suspected diphtheria cases, Wonken, Venezuela, 2017*
| Case-patient no. | Age, y/sex | Location† | Signs and symptoms | Duration | Treatment | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31/M, returning miner | Urimpatá | Hyperthermia; dysphagia; odynophagia; dysphonia; gray adherent membranes; massive cervical lymphadenopathy | 9 d | Azithromycin (500 mg, 2×/d for 10 d), 7-d cycle ampicillin/sulbactam, penicillin G benzathine (1.2 million units, IM, 1 dose), adult Td to contacts | Survived |
| 2 | 4/F, household contact of case-patient 1 | Urimpatá | Dysphagia; odynophagia; hemoptysis; fever; gray adherent membrane formation; cervical lymphadenopathy | 7 d | Azithromycin (10 mg/kg,1×/d for 7 d), cefotaxime/clarithromycin at admission, Tdap vaccination | Survived, admitted to reference hospital |
| 3 | 9/F, household contact of case-patient 1 | Urimpatá | Abrupt onset of odynophagia; barking cough; dysphonia; stridor and gray adherent pseudomembranes covering tonsils, uvula, and pharynx | 7 d | Azithromycin (10 mg/kg, 1×/d, 7 d), penicillin G benzathine (0.6 million units, IM, 1 dose), Tdap vaccination | Survived |
| 4 | 14/F | Atanao | Fever; dysphonia; dysphagia; odynophagia | ≈1 wk | No data | Died |
| 5 | 4/M | Atanao | Dysphagia; odynophagia; dysphonia; hyporexia | ≈1 wk | No data | Died |
| 6 | 9/F | Urimpatá | Odynophagia; barking cough; dysphonia; stridor and gray pseudomembrane covering tonsils, uvula, and pharynx | ≈1 wk | Azithromycin (10 mg/kg, 1×/d, 7 d), penicillin G benzathine (0.6 million units, IM, 1 dose), Tdap vaccination | Survived |
| 7 | 9/F | Damasko | Dysphagia; odynophagia; dysphonia; fever; gray pseudomembrane covering tonsils, uvula, and pharynx | ≈1 wk | Azithromycin (10 mg/kg, 1×/d for 7 d), penicillin G benzathine (0.6 million units, IM, 1 dose), Tdap vaccination | Survived |
| 8 | 13/F | Damasko | Odynophagia; fever; small grayish membranes admixed with vesicles covering pharynx | ≈1 wk | Azithromycin (10 mg/kg, 1×/d for 7 d), penicillin G benzathine (0.6 million units, IM, 1 dose), Tdap vaccination | Survived |
| 9 | Unknown | Atanao, in transit to Vista Alegre community | Reported as signs and symptoms suggestive of diphtheria | Unknown | No data | Unknown |
| 10 | Unknown | Atanao, in transit to Vista Alegre community | Reported as signs and symptoms suggestive of diphtheria | Unknown | No data | Unknown |
*None of the case-patients were previously immunized or received diphtheria antitoxin as treatment. No case-patients had cutaneous or neurologic signs or symptoms. IM, intramuscular; Td, tetanus-diphtheria; Tdap, tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis.
†Location coordinates: Urimpatá (5.128429°N, −61.380956°E); Atanao (5.128429°N, −61.380956°E); and Damasko (5.127997°N, −61.504152°E).
Page created: June 18, 2018
Page updated: June 18, 2018
Page reviewed: June 18, 2018
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