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Volume 31, Number 3—March 2025
Research

Diphtheria Outbreak among Persons Experiencing Homelessness, 2023, Linked to 2022 Diphtheria Outbreak, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Jonas Haller1Comments to Author , Anja Berger1, Alexandra Dangel1, Katja Bengs, Imke Friedrichs, Christian Kleine, Dorothee Schmidt, Maria Goetzens, Udo Goetsch, Michael Hogardt, and Andreas Sing
Author affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany (J. Haller); European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden (J. Haller); Gesundheitsamt Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (J. Haller, C. Kleine, D. Schmidt, M. Goetzens, U. Goetsch); Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Germany (A. Berger, A. Dangel, K. Bengs, A. Sing); Laborarztpraxis Rhein-Main MVZ GbR, Frankfurt am Main (I. Friedrichs); Elisabethen Straßenambulanz, Frankfurt am Main (M. Goetzens); University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main (M. Hogardt)

Main Article

Table

Demographic and clinical characteristics of 16 Corynebacterium diphtheriae cases among persons experiencing homelessness, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, February–October 2023*

Case no. Demographics
 Toxigenic status
 Symptoms
 Substance abuse
Age group, y Sex Country of origin Pharynx Wound Respiratory Wound Alcohol IV drugs
1† 26–35 F Germany + UNK Y Y N Y
2† 26–35 M Afghanistan – + N Y N Y
3† 36–45 M Germany – + N Y Y Y
4† >60 M Poland – + N Y Y N
5† 36–45 F Poland – + N Y Y N
6† 46–60 M Poland – + N Y Y N
7 26–35 M Germany – – N Y N Y
8 36–45 M Germany – – N Y Y Y
9 36–45 F Germany – – Y Y Y N
10 46–60 F UNK – – N Y Y N
11 36–45 M UNK – – Y Y N Y
12 46–60 M UNK – – N Y Y Y
13 46–60 M Poland – – N Y Y N
14 46–60 M Germany – – Y Y N Y
15 36–45 M Germany – – N Y Y Y
16 36–45 M Germany – – N Y N Y

*Probable and confirmed cases are shown. IV, intravenous; UNK, unknown. †Previously reported confirmed cases.

Main Article

1These first authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: February 04, 2025
Page updated: February 24, 2025
Page reviewed: February 24, 2025
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