The endemic erythromycin resistant Corynebacterium diptheriae in Viet Nam in 1990s

Corynebacterium diphtheriae is a Gram positive causing a deadly upper respiratory disease, known as diphtheria. Although there was a significant decline in diphtheria after introducing diphtheria toxoid vaccine, it has still been a problem in the world, especially in low vaccine coverage regions and low income settings. In Vietnam, in recent years, diptheria has emerged in children who have not vaccinated and living in the impoverished high lands. However, there has been a little known about this pathogen. Therefore, we here firstly sequenced whole genomes and used the state-of-the-art methods to analyze the genomic data of 54 C. diptheriae isolates collected from Vietnamese patients. Findings from our study will provide important insights into current understanding about this pathogen to related parties and healthcare staff to raise their awareness in improving control strategies