Scientists warn that diphtheria is on the rise and could once again become a major global threat

It seems that the almost defeated infectious disease has been revived.In a new treatise this week, scientists say that while cases of diphtheria have been steadily increasing in recent years, antibiotics and vaccines have been added. Bacteria There is a risk of losing its bacterial potency Continue Evolve.

diphtheria Caused by a specific strain of bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae..It spreads primarily through respiratory droplets And More rarely, through skin contact with infected wounds.The harm caused by these bacteria is usually not due to the infection itself But they can produce from toxins. EEarly symptoms include sore throat and mild fever.Within a few days, it causes obvious gras, as the toxin can kill enough cells along the throatYish accumulation of dead debris that makes it difficult for the victim to breathe. People who are suffering can also develop a swollen “bruneck” caused by enlarged lymph nodes. If left untreated, toxins can penetrate the bloodstream and other organs, causing massive internal damage that kills about half of the victims.

Diphtheria has killed people for centuries, but the advent of antitoxins, antibiotics, and highly effective vaccines in the first half of the 20th century has largely castrated it. After the World Health Organization promoted universal childhood vaccination in the 1970s from 1980 to 2000 incident Over 90% of new diphtheria cases have decreased each year.Today, about 85% of the world’s population Vaccinated with diphtheria, the disease is virtually extinct in many Countries including America

There are still pockets in the world where access to effective treatments and vaccines is more restricted, However. The incidence of diphtheria has also begun to rise gradually recently.Ina new research Release On Monday at Nature Communications, scientists say there is evidence that Klebs-Löyma is at risk of genetic alterations sufficient to reduce the effectiveness of the antibiotics and vaccines used against them.

In this study, which was attended by researchers from the United Kingdom, India, and the World Health Organization, these bacteria (both toxin and non-toxin-producing strains) over the past century were studied by studying samples collected from patients in 16 countries. I examined the genetic diversity of...This included India, where the majority of the world’s annual diphtheria cases are currently occurring... They used this data to graph the evolution of these bacteria over time.

There is a signal Researchers have discovered that bacteria are beginning to adapt to our weapons. Over the last decade, they have found that the average number of antimicrobial resistance genes carried by Klebs-Löyma has increased significantly compared to previous decades.The diversity of their “tox” genes is responsible for producing deadly things Toxins have also increased recently. They identified 18 different mutants of the tox gene.Some of them can change the basic structure of the toxin and reduce the effectiveness of existing treatments...

Diphtheria antibiotic-resistant bacteria Makes it difficult for doctors to treat infections. Diphtheria vaccines, on the other hand, work by training the body to specifically recognize toxins. AMeaningful changes in its structure can weaken how well our immune system prevents it, and the strength of antitoxin drugs.s. However, these findings do not show that diphtheria is impervious to antibiotics and vaccines. The mutations found in the tox gene do not appear to affect the effectiveness of current vaccines, There is no evidence of substantial resistance to the most common antibiotics used to treat infections.

However, the increasing diversity of these bacteria suggests that one day we can “learn” how to better avoid vaccines, antitoxins and antibiotics. And against the backdrop of current trends, it is definitely a concern. In 2018, more than 16,000 cases of diphtheria were reported worldwide. This is the highest annual number of outbreaks in 22 years.And in 2019 bad.. And last year, the covid-19 pandemic disrupted efforts to vaccinate against diseases like diphtheria.

Even in the worst case scenarios, vaccines and antitoxins can be changed as needed and there are other antibiotics that doctors can use on the front lines-Line drugs for these still rare infections also begin to fail. But researchers warn that it’s too late and we must continue our research now and begin preparing for these possibilities before we can follow in the footsteps of other vaccines such as measles. doing. Horrible resurrection these days.

“”[I]It is more important than ever to understand this historically significant illness and prevent it from becoming a major global threat again in its original or modified, more adaptive form. ” ..