An Outbreak of Diphtheria among Skid-Row Men

Abstract

DURING the winter of 1961–1962 a small outbreak of diphtheria occurred among homeless men living in the skid-row section of Omaha, Nebraska. This outbreak is described here both as an example of diphtheria limited to adults and as an illustration of the problems that skid-row populations present for the effective public-health control of diphtheria in the United States.BackgroundThe skid-row section of downtown Omaha covers an area of about 20 blocks and consists largely of warehouses, bars and inexpensive rooming houses. The population of this area is made up almost entirely of homeless men, many of whom are destitute . . .