The cousin of a young girl who died of diphtheria in Palermo has also tested positive for the bacterial infection, according to Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. The report, published Thursday, did not specify the cousin's age or current condition.
The development marks the latest turn in a rare Italian diphtheria case that has drawn attention to local vaccination rates. The original patient, a child, died in Palermo, Sicily, after contracting the disease, which is now uncommon in Italy due to widespread immunization.
Italian outlets covering the case have pointed to regional vaccination gaps as a contributing factor. Il Post reported that fewer children are vaccinated in Sicily than in the rest of Italy, a disparity that public health experts say increases vulnerability to preventable diseases. Focus.it noted that the Palermo case has raised questions about whether diphtheria is re-emerging in the country, while Scienza in rete framed the situation as a lesson about the risks facing unvaccinated and "invisible" populations.
A pediatrician quoted by Giornale di Brescia expressed dismay at encountering a disease he had hoped would remain confined to medical textbooks. The doctor's comments reflect broader concern among clinicians unaccustomed to treating diphtheria in modern practice.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that can cause breathing difficulties and heart damage if left untreated. Vaccination remains the primary defense, and health authorities typically recommend booster shots throughout life.
The confirmation of a second positive case in the same family suggests the infection may have spread within close contacts. Public health officials in Sicily are likely to continue contact tracing and monitoring of anyone who had close exposure to the confirmed cases.
What to watch next: whether health authorities in Sicily announce additional testing or vaccination campaigns in response to the family cluster.
