Three people in Britain have died after contracting a Victorian-era disease which is spread through coughing and sneezing.
Diphtheria was found in 87 people across England last year, 10 more than in 2021. It is thought 72 cases of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain were found among asylum seekers, who had arrived in the UK only recently.
Last November, an asylum seeker being held at the processing centre in Kent, died from the disease, reports the Mirror. Eleven more cases were found in people who had "companion animals" and it is believed the disease was spread by contact with pets.
The UK Health Security Agency said the risk to the wider public of catching the disease is still very low. If it is not treated quickly, a highly contagious DIiphtheria infection can be fatal, especially in children.
The NHS explains the disease is rare in the UK because babies and children have been routinely vaccinated against it since the 1940s.
The infection is typically spread by coughs and sneezes, or through close contact with someone who is infected. You can also get it by sharing items, such as cups, cutlery, clothing or bedding, with an infected person.
The main symptoms include a hick grey-white coating that may cover the back of your throat, nose and tongue, a high temperature, sore throat, swollen glands in your neck as well as difficulty breathing and swallowing.
In the UK, uptake for diphtheria vaccinations is high, as it is included in the 6-in-1 doses given to babies at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age, and then again at 3 years and four months in the 4-in-1 pre-school booster.
Following the death of a 31-year-old asylum seeker in Kent last year, immigration minister Robert Jenrick said migrants showing signs of the highly-contagious disease would be separated for a "short period" at the Manston migrant processing centre near Ramsgate or held in a "designated isolation centre" while they are treated.
Hussein Haseeb Ahmed passed away at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) hospital on November 19 after being held at Manston after crossing the Channel a week earlier.
