在全球很多地区白喉为地方性流行。 在 20 世纪 90 年代初,前苏联由于政治动荡,免疫规划中断,出现了白喉大暴发。[5]Vitek CR, Bogatyreva EY, Wharton M. Diphtheria surveillance and control in the former Soviet Union and the newly independent states. J Infect Dis. 2000 Feb;181 Suppl 1:S23-6.https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/181/Supplement_1/S23/842014http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10657186?tool=bestpractice.com 中亚、阿尔及利亚和厄瓜多尔也发生过流行。这些流行主要影响青少年和成人,而不是儿童。部分原因在于这些疫苗接种社区的成人缺乏对白喉棒状杆菌的初级免疫,而且加强免疫接种率低,导致白喉抗毒素浓度随年龄增长而下降。[6]Galazka A. The changing epidemiology of diphtheria in the vaccine era. J Infect Dis. 2000 Feb;181 Suppl 1:S2-9.https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/181/Supplement_1/S2/840806http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10657184?tool=bestpractice.com 低社会经济地位已确定为白喉杆菌感染的危险因素。[7]Vitek CR, Wharton M. Diphtheria in the former Soviet Union: reemergence of a pandemic disease. Emerg Infect Dis. 1998 Oct-Dec;4(4):539-50.https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/4/4/98-0404_articlehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9866730?tool=bestpractice.com 世界卫生组织 (WHO) 在普及疫苗接种方面做出的努力已经使全球白喉病例显著减少。尽管做出了这些努力,白喉仍然在海地和多米尼加共和国以及亚洲、南太平洋、中东和东欧的许多国家流行。[8]Tiwari TS. Diptheria. In: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Yellow Book 2018: health information for international travel. Chapter 3 - infectious diseases related to travel. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2017.https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/diphtheria[9]World Health Organization. Diphtheria vaccine: WHO position paper - August 2017. Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 2017 Aug 4;92(31):417-35.http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/258683/WER9231-417-435.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28776357?tool=bestpractice.com 2017 年,世界卫生组织报告在也门(一个持续受战争影响的国家)[10]World Health Organization. Diphtheria - Yemen. Disease outbreak news 22 December 2017. Dec 2017 [internet publication].http://www.who.int/csr/don/22-december-2017-diphtheria-yemen/en/ 和孟加拉国流离失所的罗兴亚族人群中疑似暴发白喉疫情。[11]World Health Organization. Diphtheria - Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Disease outbreak news 13 December 2017. Dec 2017 [internet publication].http://www.who.int/csr/don/13-december-2017-diphtheria-bangladesh/en/
在美国,目前白喉只有散发病例。根据美国疾病预防控制中心 (CDC) 统计的数据,在过去十年中,美国报告的白喉病例不到 5 例。[12]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diphtheria: clinicians. Jan 2016 [internet publication].https://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/clinicians.html美国和西欧开展了白喉疫苗接种,使这些地区白喉的发病率急剧下降。[13]Liang JL, Tiwari T, Moro P, et al. Prevention of pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria with vaccines in the United States: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2018;67(2):1-44.https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/rr/rr6702a1.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29702631?tool=bestpractice.com 这些地区大多病例为未接种疫苗或未全程接种疫苗的人,美国的白喉主要发生在印地安土著人口聚居地区。