HIBAPRESS
The state of Skikda, eastern Algeria, witnessed the death of two confirmed cases of diphtheria (diphtheria) on Friday evening, amid the recording of five confirmed infections, which prompted the Algerian health authorities to declare a state of emergency amid great fears among Algerians of the spread of this infectious disease.
The Algerian Ministry of Health clarified that the deceased were a 25-year-old foreign young man and a 12-year-old girl who had not been previously vaccinated against the disease. Diphtheria, which is caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria, usually begins with cold-like symptoms such as sore throat and fever, but it may develop to form a gray membrane in the back of the throat, which impedes breathing and threatens the life of the infected person if not treated quickly. The disease is transmitted through droplets or touching contaminated objects, and early diagnosis and immediate treatment with diphtheria antitoxin and antibiotics is vital to control it. These developments come at a time when diphtheria outbreaks continue in several countries around the world, as the United Nations recorded more than 109 deaths in Yemen last year due to the disease, while UNICEF warned of a similar outbreak in Nigeria.
