A four-year-old girl died on Wednesday night, August 19th, in Palermo, Italy, as a result of a severe bacterial infection known as diphtheria. This disease can cause damage to vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, and nervous system, even though diphtheria had been eradicated in the country more than ten years ago.
According to information from Corriere della Sera, Ana Rosa Bartolotta passed away at the Civic Hospital of Palermo. The child's guardians are described as anti-vaccination advocates, as they admitted to healthcare professionals that they chose not to vaccinate their daughter due to the belief that a cousin developed autism after receiving the hexavalent vaccine, which protects against several diseases, including diphtheria. This refusal occurred despite the mandatory nature of the vaccine in Italy.
The previous week, between Wednesday and Thursday, Anna showed the first signs of the illness, such as fever, loss of appetite, and vomiting. Her mother, Manuela, who has three other children, initially thought it was just a common seasonal virus. However, the girl's health condition deteriorated progressively, culminating in respiratory difficulties and high fever on Saturday.
Upon arriving at the hospital on Saturday, the girl was already in critical condition. Due to the worsening of her condition, she needed to be intubated and subsequently transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of the Palermo Children's Hospital. Despite medical efforts to save her, there was no success, and her organs failed during the night.
The Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) has launched an official investigation into the girl's death. The body has been collected and will undergo an autopsy in the coming days. It is noteworthy that there has been no case of diphtheria in Italy for a decade; the last recorded case in Europe occurred four years ago in a Spanish locality where vaccination rates were low.
La Repubblica points out that diphtheria is transmitted through the air. The bacteria first attacks the upper respiratory tract, but its spread is rapid. If identified early, treatment with antibiotics is possible. In Ana's case, the parents mistakenly interpreted the symptoms as those of a common tonsillitis.