Corynebacterium diphtheriae infections in South Africa

Diphtheria is a potentially fatal disease caused by toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae, C. ulcerans or C. pseudotuberculosis. The diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine led to declines in the global incidence of diphtheria. However, since the early 1990s, there has been a global resurgence in C. diphtheriae disease. This study provides a review of epidemiological and isolate characteristics from reported C. diphtheriae infections in South Africa from 2015 through 2023 in order to monitor all forms of C. diphtheriae derived disease and shed light towards treatment and public health action in curbing transmission.