Diphtheria: cases among asylum seekers in England, monthly data tables
Updated 13 April 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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Confirmed toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae cases among asylum seekers in England 2022 and 2026, by month
The tables below show the number of confirmed diphtheria cases among asylum seekers in England by month of PCR confirmation by the National Diphtheria Reference Laboratory (RVPBRU) and by region at point of testing.
Data as of March 2026
Table 1. Number of confirmed toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae among asylum seekers in England by month of PCR confirmation
| Year | Month of reporting | Total number of cases reported | Cumulative total of cases for 2022 to March 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | January | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | February | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | March | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | April | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | May | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | June | 1 | 2 |
| 2022 | July | 1 | 3 |
| 2022 | August | 1 | 4 |
| 2022 | September | 1 | 5 |
| 2022 | October | 18 | 23 |
| 2022 | November | 32 | 55 |
| 2022 | December | 18 [note 1] | 73 |
| 2023 | January | 1 | 74 |
| 2023 | February | 0 | 74 |
| 2023 | March | 0 | 74 |
| 2023 | April | 0 | 74 |
| 2023 | May | 0 | 74 |
| 2023 | June | 0 | 74 |
| 2023 | July | 0 | 74 |
| 2023 | August | 3 | 77 |
| 2023 | September | 7 | 84 |
| 2023 | October | 2 | 86 |
| 2023 | November | 0 | 86 |
| 2023 | December | 0 | 86 |
| 2024 | January to March | 0 | 86 |
| 2024 | April to June | 0 | 86 |
| 2024 | July to September | 0 | 86 |
| 2024 | October to December | 0 | 86 |
| 2025 | January to March | 0 | 86 |
| 2025 | April to June | 2 | 88 |
| 2025 | July to September | 0 | 88 |
| 2025 | October to December | 0 | 88 |
| 2026 | January to March | 0 | 88 |
Note 1: includes one probable case clinically compatible with diphtheria but without laboratory confirmation.
Table 2. Number of confirmed toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae among asylum seekers in England by region (at point of testing)
| Region | Total number of cases reported (as of March 2026) [note 2] |
|---|---|
| South East | 66 |
| East of England | Less than 5 |
| West Midlands | 5 |
| South West | Less than 5 |
| North East | Less than 5 |
| North West | Less than 5 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | Less than 5 |
| London | 6 |
| Total | 88 [note 3] |
Note 2: data has been masked to maintain confidentiality due to the risk of deductive disclosure posed by small population sizes. Numbers between 1 and 4 are masked as ‘less than 5’.
Note 3: includes one probable case clinically compatible with diphtheria but from whom C. diphtheriae was not isolated at local testing.
Please note that this page will be updated every quarter. The next scheduled update will be on 2 July 2026.
Source: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)