RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Martini, Helena A1 Soetens, Oriane A1 Litt, David A1 Fry, Norman K. A1 Detemmerman, Liselot A1 Wybo, Ingrid A1 Desombere, Isabelle A1 Efstratiou, Androulla A1 Piérard, DenisYR 2019 T1 Diphtheria in Belgium: 2010–2017 JF Journal of Medical Microbiology, VO 68 IS 10 SP 1517 OP 1525 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001039 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1473-5644, AB In Western Europe, the incidence of both respiratory and cutaneous diphtheria, caused by toxin-producing Corynebacterium diphtheriae , Corynebacterium ulcerans or Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis , has been low over the past few decades thanks to the use of an effective vaccine and a high level of vaccination coverage. However, the disease has still not been eradicated and continues to occur in all of Europe. In order to prevent sequelae or a fatal outcome, diphtheria antitoxin (DAT) should be administered to suspected diphtheria patients as soon as possible, but economic factors and issues concerning regulations have led to poor availability of DAT in many countries. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and World Health Organization have called for European Union-wide solutions to this DAT-shortage. In order to illustrate the importance of these efforts and underline the need for continued diphtheria surveillance, we present data on all registered cases of toxigenic and non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae , C. ulcerans and C. pseudotuberculosis in Belgium during the past decade, up to and including 2017., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001039