Although diphtheria is a rare disease in the United States,
access to diphtheria antitoxin (DAT) is essential to ensure
effective treatment of a case. The previously available supply of
U.S.-licensed DAT (Diphtheria Antitoxin, Equine, Connaught
Laboratories, Inc., Swiftwater, Pennsylvania) had an expiration
date of January 6, 1997, and should no longer be used. No
manufacturer has announced an intention to license a DAT product in
the United States.
A DAT product (i.e., Diphtheria Antitoxin, Pasteur Merieux,
Lyon, France), licensed in Europe and similar to the previously
licensed U.S. product, is now available in the United States
through an Investigational New Drug (IND) protocol through CDC.
This protocol is designed to enable the emergency treatment of
patients with suspected diphtheria. Decisions to dispense DAT from
U.S. Public Health Service quarantine stations will be made by
medical epidemiology staff of CDC's Child Vaccine Preventable
Disease Branch, Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, National
Immunization Program, in discussion with the treating physician.
Physicians treating a case of suspected diphtheria can contact the
diphtheria duty officer, telephone (404) 639-8255, 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. eastern time, or (404) 639-2889, all other times. All
suspected diphtheria cases should also be reported to local and
state health departments.
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