Cutaneous diphtheria in a child returning from visiting friends & relatives in Burkina Faso: a case report

We present a case report of an 8-year-old African origin, Italian born girl, fully immunized for Diphtheria, with multiple ulcers caused by Corynebacterium diphtheria. The clinical event was preceded by a recent trip to Burkina Faso in a rural area. The atypical presentation with ulcers spread to the entire body and particularly to one leg, led to a bacterial swab, from whose culture the pathogen emerged. The girl was initially empirically treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate and then azithromycin. Cutaneous forms are the most common of all forms and have a relevant spreading role. This case is of particular concern in the context of a rising number of cases in Europe, and it’s peculiar since it doesn’t regard immigrants and refugees, whereas it regards a fully immunized child who traveled from an endemical country.