The health authorities have confirmed this Monday the third case of diphtheria detected in Ceuta within a week, information advanced by the newspaper El Pueblo de Ceuta and verified by Europa Press through official sources.
Less than seven days ago, the presence of this notifiable disease was confirmed in a migrant woman housed in the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center (CETI) and in an unaccompanied foreign minor residing in a reception center of the Autonomous City.
The case now reported is the first case of diphtheria identified in a person born in Ceuta. From the Preventive Medicine service of the University Hospital of Ceuta (HUCE), it has been emphasized that the affected individual has not had direct contact with the migrant population.
According to the consulted sources, the diagnosis corresponds to an elderly man, a resident of the city, who presents a skin infection whose culture has tested positive for this pathology.
In Spain, there had not been a diphtheria episode in an indigenous resident since 2021, when a case of skin infection was confirmed in Galicia.
The patient, who is not in serious condition, remains isolated at home and is being treated with antibiotics. The infection was identified from the culture of a wound treated at the health center of Otero. Health services are still waiting to determine the virulence of the bacteria.
After the confirmation of the positive case, Health must locate the people who have had close contact with the sick person to assess whether they need prophylaxis and follow-up. These contacts may receive preventive antibiotic treatment for six days.
The increase in infectious diseases associated with the massive entry of migrants in Ceuta has led the authorities to intensify health surveillance measures in the city.
Already on Sunday afternoon, the Preventive Medicine service of the HUCE disseminated an informative note directed at healthcare personnel urging them to reinforce protective measures against exposure to biological agents. The document reminds INGESA workers of the obligation to use protective equipment at all times.