
From red raw ulcers to ‘bull neck' – the 7 signs of the highly contagious bug spreading around Europe's summer hotspots
KNOW THE SIGNS From red raw ulcers to 'bull neck' – the 7 signs of the highly contagious bug spreading around Europe's summer hotspots
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A KILLER bug once dubbed 'childhood's deadly scourge' is making a chilling comeback across Europe - and it starts with an innocent sore throat.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious infection that suffocates its victims by forming a thick grey coat over the throat and tonsils.
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More severe cases can lead to a characteristic swollen neck and throat, or "bull neck". This swelling can make breathing difficult.
In the worst cases, the infection blocks the airways, causes heart failure, and damages the nervous system.
If the disease affects the skin, it can cause pus-filled blisters on the legs, feet and hands, as well as large ulcers surrounded by red, sore-looking skin.
Diphtheria is mostly spread by coughs, sneezing or close contact.
It can also be caught from sharing items such as cups, clothing or bedding with an infected person.
Before the vaccine rollout in the 1950s, the bug tore through British homes, killing up to 4,000 people a year, mostly children.
There are reports of families where several siblings died within days of each other.
Now the bug is spreading again, in popular holiday hotspots, with health chiefs calling for a better "awareness of symptoms" to stop the spread.
Diphtheria is thought to be rare in Europe and the UK, with cases falling steadily since the introduction of vaccines in 1942.
Between 2009 and 2020, an average of 21 cases were reported each year in Europe.
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But "a marked shift occurred in 2022", as 320 cases - two of them probable - were detected in European countries, the ECDC wrote in recent report.
"Similar trends" were also reported in the UK, according to the health watchdog.
At the end of 2023, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said one person tested positive for the deadly bug at Wigmore Primary School in Luton.
At the time, parents were warned to take caution, with health officials urging anyone with symptoms to "seek urgent medical attention".
A total of 234 diphtheria cases have been reported in European countries since January 2023, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
"Ten European countries were affected by this outbreak, with Germany, Austria, the UK, Switzerland and France reporting the highest case numbers," they said.
The outbreak was "mainly linked to groups of migrants who had recently arrived in Europe" and been exposed to diphtheria on their journey, it added.
Since then, the number of diphtheria cases in Europe has "consistently declined", but the ECDC warned that infections were still being reported - especially among vulnerable people.
A total of 165 cases were flagged to the ECDC in 2023, 56 in 2024 and 13 so far into 2025.
"Published data and recent personal communications indicate that
after the 2022 outbreak, Corynebacterium diphtheriae continued to circulate in at least five EU/EEA countries and in Switzerland," the health watchdog said.
"A significant proportion of these cases has been among people more vulnerable to diphtheria," it added.
These include people experiencing homelessness, people living, working or volunteering in transitional housing centres, migrants, and those who use and inject drugs.
Bruno Ciancio, from the ECDC is now calling for "better awareness of symptoms, quick diagnosis and prompt public health action" to help quell the spread.
What to watch out for
According to the NHS, symptoms usually start two to five days after becoming infected.
These include:
A thick grey-white coating that may cover the back of your throat, nose and tongue A high temperature Sore throat Swollen glands in your neck Difficulty breathing and swallowing Pus-filled blisters on your legs, feet and hands Large ulcers surrounded by red, sore-looking skin
You should get urgent medical help if you have the above symptoms.

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