Diphtheria - Prevalence & Deaths in India

Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria, which primarily infects the throat and upper airways, and produces a toxin affecting other organs.

Diphtheria particularly affects the children aged 1 to 5 years of age. In temperate climates (which have four seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring), diphtheria tends to occur during the colder months.

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi, reported 7 outbreaks of diphtheria in India during the year 2014.

Diphtheria: Epidemiological Situation in India, 2015
Cases	Deaths
3249	85

In countries endemic for diphtheria as in India, the disease occurs mostly as sporadic cases or in small outbreaks.

Diphtheria is fatal in 5 - 10% of cases, with a higher mortality rate in young children.

Diphtheria : State-wise Number of Cases & Deaths in India, 2015
Andhra Pradesh	57	0
Arunachal Pradesh	0	0
Assam	192	0
Bihar	57	1
Chhattisgarh	24	0
Goa	0	0
Gujarat	12	0
Haryana	806	0
Himachal Pradesh	0	0
Jammu and Kashmir	0	0
Jharkhand	11	0
Karnataka	14	1
Kerala	4	0
Madhya Pradesh	52	0
Meghalaya	0	0
Maharashtra	181	1
Manipur	0	0
Mizoram	47	0
Nagaland	0	0
Odisha	50	0
Punjab	6	0
Rajasthan	445	2
Sikkim	0	0
Tamil Nadu	0	0
Tripura	46	0
Telangana	0	0
Uttar Pradesh	89	0
Uttrakhand	33	0
West Bengal	528	4
A& N Island	1	0
Chandigarh	23	1
Delhi	569	75
D&N Haveli	2	0
Daman & Diu	0	0
Lakshadweep	0	0
Puduchery	0	0
Total	3,249	85

References:

1. Diphtheria - (https://www.nhp.gov.in/disease/respiratory/diphtheria)
2. National Health Profile 2016, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Gov’t of India.

• << Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB): Health Statistics and Epidemiol...
• Swine Flu: Epidemiological Situation in India >>