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May 31, 1999
Rare Throat Infection May Become More Common
Six cases of a serious throat infection reported from three countries suggest the
emergence of a new disease.
ATLANTA—A rare case of a severe throat infection known as meningococcal
supraglottitis leads two physicians to suspect the emergence of a new disease, according
to an article in the current issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, CDC's peer-reviewed
journal, which tracks new and reemerging infections worldwide.
The 44-year-old woman described in the article had fever, severe sore throat, and
difficulty swallowing and breathing. She was diagnosed with supraglottitis, an infection
that causes swelling of the inside of the throat in the region of the larynx. The swelling
was so severe that an emergency breathing tube had to be placed to protect her airway and
prevent suffocation.
The infection was caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. Known to
physicians for more than 200 years, it usually produces illnesses such as acute
meningitis, overwhelming systemic infection, and pneumonia. The first reported case of
meningococcal supraglottitis (supraglottitis caused by N. meningitidis) occurred
only in 1995 (in the United States). Since then, five more cases have been reported from
the United States (3 cases), Finland (1 case), and Singapore (1 case). Most cases of
supraglottitis in adults are not serious and do not require breathing tubes. However, five
of the six patients with meningococcal supraglottitis required emergency procedures to
protect their airways. All six patients recovered completely with intravenous antibiotics.
The authors of this report noted the recent clustering of meningococcal supraglottitis
cases since 1995 and suggest that this may be an emerging infectious syndrome. They
believe that similar cases should be monitored to determine if this syndrome will become
more common or remain a rarity.
For more information, contact Dr. Eric Schwam at 508 236-7040 (tel), 508 236-7043
(fax), or schwam@massmed.org
(e-mail). Access the full article at http://www.cdc.gov/EID/vol5no3/schwam.htm.
All material in Emerging Infectious Diseases is in the public domain and may be used
without special permission; proper citation, however, is appreciated.
For more information on this or related topics, see...
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