An outbreak of diphtheria has been reported at an asylum seekers processing centre.
The Home Office refused to confirm the number of cases of diphtheria at Manston, but said the number was very small.
Infections that affect the skin, nose and throat are called diphtheria. Without treatment, it can cause breathing difficulties and be fatal. Last year there were just 10 confirmed cases in the UK. In 1942, a vaccine programme was introduced in the UK.
It will be of concern to public health officials that cases have been identified in a facility where people are sleeping close together on the floor in tents.
Some people have been taken from Manston to airports for deportation. They are not sure if they were tested for the disease before leaving Manston.
Home Office sources said that all the cases had been treated with antibiotics. The source said that the Home Office had robust contingency plans for dealing with health issues such as communicable diseases.
There are other reported infections on site, including diphtheria. According to asylum seekers who have been processed at Manston recently, there was a previous outbreak of scurvy.
There was an outbreak of the disease in the camps in Bangladesh.
Stuart McDonald visited Manston in June as a member of the Home Affairs select committee. He said it was appalling news. It is alarming and shocking. The new home secretary should prioritize it. We need to rethink the strategy.
The founder of the charity Care4Calais said that people are exhausted and suffer from exposure after a long journey across the Channel. Most of the time, petrol and salt burns are done. It's a disgrace that they were left sleeping on the floor. The government needs to do more to help them and us.
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There are a small number of cases of diphtheria reported at Manston. Protocols have been followed. We take the safety and welfare of those in our care very seriously and are working closely with health professionals and the UK Health Security Agency to make sure the instances are contained and to support the individuals affected.
Dr Liz Clark is a clinical adviser at Medical Justice.
She wondered how long it would take to diagnose a case of diphtheria, which most GP's in this country have never seen. I have never heard of a case like that. It is a huge task to locate everyone who may have come into contact with people who are living in not great conditions.
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