Background The incidence of
diphtheria cases has declined significantly from 1,00,000 cases in 1980 to 2500 in 2015 globally. India contributed to half of the
diphtheria cases reported globally from 2001 to 2015. The disease has higher case mortality and morbidity rate due to various geographic-specific factors. The current study aims to outline the characteristics and outcomes of the
diphtheria-reported patients of Gujarat, a western state of India. Method A record-based, descriptive retrospective study was undertaken in the western state of India by analyzing district-wise reported
diphtheria cases in
diphtheria,
tetanus, and
pertussis (DPT) surveillance program format during 2020-2021. Result Out of 446, most patients were reported from selected geographies of Gujarat state in 2020-2021. The 424 (95%) reported cases were from 0-14 years of age. Only 9 (2%) subjects had a travel history, and 369 (82.7%) patients were reported from rural areas. The time trend analysis showed that 339 (76%) patients were reported from September to December. The case-fatality ratio was 5.4%, and 300 (67.2%) cases didn't take the DPT (DPT3)/pentavalent 3rd dose
vaccine and subsequent doses during their lifetime, emphasizing the role of the
vaccine in preventing
diphtheria disease. Conclusion Increased vaccination coverage and completing all doses of the
DPT vaccine are crucial to avert deaths due to
diphtheria. An effective surveillance system will aid in early disease detection and provide more information on the factors that lead to disease occurrence for prompt action by the authority.