Denmark announces unvaccinated refugees have brought diphtheria into the country afte

Denmark announces unvaccinated refugees have brought diphtheria into the country after a 20-year absence

• Two Libyan refugees who arrived in Denmark found to have diphtheria
• The potentially fatal infection has not been seen in the country since 1998
• Authorities are warning hospitals there could be an outbreak of diphtheria
• Other refugees have been found suffering from tuberculosis and malaria
• See all the latest on the refugee crisis at www.dailymail.co.uk/refugeecrisis

By JENNY STANTON FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 18:07 EST, 20 January 2016 | UPDATED: 07:59 EST, 21 January 2016


Refugees have brought the potentially fatal and highly-contagious bacterial infection diphtheria into Denmark and authorities are warning hospitals there could be an outbreak.

Two Libyan refugees were found to have the infection, the Danish State Serum Institute (SSI) said on Tuesday.
Diphtheria - spread through coughs and sneezes, or contact with someone with the infection or their belongings - has not been seen in the country since 1998.

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Refugees: Two Libyan refugees were found to have diphtheria in Denmark. It is the first case of the infection in the country since 1998 (stock image)

'The infection [diphtheria] can be very dangerous if one isn’t vaccinated against it,' Kurt Fuursted, spokesperson for the SSI told Danish newspaper Metroxpress.

'There is no doubt that infectious diseases are coming in with the refugees that we aren’t used to. There have been discussions on whether all refugees who come to Denmark should be screened.'

The newspaper also reported that other refugees had been found suffering from tuberculosis and malaria.

Health Minister Sophie Lunde told Metroxpress that officials will discuss possible changes to screening policies.
The Danish vaccination programme recommends that babies are inoculated against diphtheria.

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Two refugees were found to have diphtheria, while others had been found suffering from tuberculosis and malaria (stock image)

WHAT IS DIPHTHERIA?

The potentially fatal bacterial infection mainly affects the nose and throat, but sometimes the skin.

It is highly contagious and is spread by coughs and sneezes, or by contact with someone with the infection or their belongings, such as clothing.

It is usually caught after being in close or prolonged contact with someone who has the infection or is carrying it.
Diphtheria is usually a problem in Africa, South Asia and the former Soviet Union, where less people are vaccinated.

Source: NHS Choices

Earlier this week, it was revealed that a number of Danish nightclubs had started demanding that guests can make themselves understood in English, German or the native tongue to be allowed entry.

The language requirements have reportedly been put in place in several establishments across Denmark in the wake of reports of 'foreign men in groups' harassing female guests.

Denmark has previously come under fire for a controversial proposal to confiscate valuables and cash of refugees and migrants in order to finance their upkeep while they are seeking asylum.

The plans sparked international outrage, especially in the US, where the Washington Post noted that confiscating jewellery from refugees had 'a particularly bitter connotation in Europe' where the Nazis seized gold and valuables from Jews and others during the Second World War.

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