Table 2. Epidemiological case characteristics of sub-clusters of diphtheria ST-574 confirmed cases in Germany and Poland, June 2023–January 2025 (n = 27).
| Characteristics | Sub-cluster 1 (16 cases) |
Sub-cluster 2 (11 cases) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of cases | Number of cases | |
| Year of notification | ||
| 2023 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024 | 9 | 10 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 |
| Acquisition | ||
| Autochthonous in Germany | 13 | 9 |
| Staying in or travelling to or through Frankfurt am Main, Hesse | 12 | 0 |
| Autochthonous in Poland | 0 | 1 |
| Imported | 1a | 1b |
| Unknown | 2 | 0 |
| Housing | ||
| Experiencing homelessness | 6 | 6 |
| Shelter for people in homelessness | 3 | 0 |
| No reported use of shelter for people in homelessness | 1 | 5 |
| Unknown | 2 | 1 |
| Not experiencing homelessness | 8 | 5 |
| Unknown housing status | 2 | 0 |
| Substance abuse | ||
| Reported substance use or alcohol abuse | 10 | 2 |
| Reported use of drugs | 7 | 1 |
| Reported use of alcohol (n) | 3 | 1 |
| No reported substance or alcohol abuse (n) | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown (n) | 6 | 9 |
a Imported from outside of Europe (North Africa).
b Imported from Poland into Germany.