Health authorities in Algeria’s Skikda province has confirmed an outbreak of diphtheria that has killed two people and infected several others, local media reported.
The victims include a 25-year-old foreign man and a 12-year-old girl who had not been vaccinated against the disease. Officials also confirmed five additional cases in two local clusters located in the municipalities of Skikda and Filfila.
Epidemiology and infectious disease specialists warned that diphtheria, a “highly contagious and dangerous” bacterial infection, can spread rapidly in the absence of vaccination and preventive measures.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial disease that primarily affects the throat and nose and can extend to the skin. The illness produces a toxin that may lead to heart inflammation, muscle paralysis, kidney failure, or suffocation.
The infection spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, as well as by touching contaminated surfaces.
