Thailand has recorded eight deaths among 61 suspected cases of diphtheria since the beginning of the year, with the majority in the far south, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) reported yesterday.
Dr. Jurai Wongsawat, expert physician and DDC spokesperson, said the cases were logged between January 1 and November 9. Male patients slightly outnumbered females at a ratio of 1.14 to 1. Patient ages ranged from 8 months to 82 years, with a median age of 18, though the highest infection rate was found among toddlers aged under 4.
The case fatality rate currently stands at 13%.
While suspected cases have been detected in various parts of the country, most are heavily clustered in the three southern border provinces and four districts of Songkhla. That regional cluster accounts for 21 patients and five deaths, with laboratory tests having confirmed three of those infections. Narathiwat recorded the highest number of patients in the south at 10 cases.
Dr. Jurai reassured the public that there is currently no evidence of a nationwide outbreak. She warned, however, that additional cases could still emerge, particularly in communities with low vaccination coverage or incomplete childhood immunisation records. The department has intensified surveillance and scaled up control measures in high-risk zones.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection with an incubation period of 2 to 5 days, spreading through respiratory droplets or direct contact with infected secretions.
Key symptoms include fever, sore throat, difficulty swallowing and a characteristic thick greyish coating firmly attached to the back of the throat. Severe cases can lead to airway obstruction, heart inflammation or neurological complications, carrying a typical mortality rate of 5% to 10%.
Health authorities are urging anyone exhibiting suspected symptoms to wear a face mask and seek immediate medical attention, providing their vaccination history and details of any contact with known patients.
Local health offices have been instructed to accelerate case finding, contact tracing, disease investigation and the distribution of diphtheria antitoxin treatments.
Public health officials are also collaborating with local government units, schools and community leaders to conduct proactive outreach, identifying children who have missed mandatory vaccines, especially across southern border communities.
Dr. Jurai stressed that diphtheria is fully preventable through immunisation. Children should receive a primary series of five doses at 2, 4, 6, and 18 months, followed by a booster at 4 years old, along with subsequent boosters during school age. Adults are also advised to receive diphtheria-tetanus (dT) booster shots.
Parents are advised to check their children's vaccination records and contact nearby public health centres to catch up on any missed doses without waiting for an active outbreak to occur.
