# Diphtheria death and investigation in Palermo > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/diphtheria-death-and-investigation-in-palermo > Updated: 2026-08-22T17:08:00.000Z. Sources: 103. Developments: 2. In Palermo, Italy, authorities have launched investigations following the death of a four-year-old girl, Anna Rosa Bartolotta, from suspected diphtheria. The child was unvaccinated, a decision her parents, Emanuele Bartolotta and Manuela Maggio, reportedly made due to concerns regarding a potential link between vaccines and autism. The Prosecutor’s Office in Palermo has placed the parents under investigation for manslaughter by omission. Concurrently, the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office is conducting a civil investigation into parental responsibility regarding the couple’s other four unvaccinated children, who have since been immunized. Medical officials reported that a four-year-old cousin of the deceased also tested positive for the bacterium but remains in stable condition after receiving vaccine doses. The incident has prompted a 10% increase in diphtheria vaccination requests to local pediatricians. An autopsy is scheduled for August 26 at the Palermo Policlinico to determine the exact cause of death and evaluate whether vaccination could have prevented the outcome. Prosecutors are also examining the vaccination status of neighbors to assess the risk of a broader outbreak. Medical experts, including Professor Giovanni Corsello, have emphasized the urgent need to increase pediatric vaccination coverage in Sicily to combat the current micro-outbreak. Public health data underscores these concerns; Ministry of Health figures from 2024 indicate that the hexavalent vaccination rate for children born in 2022 in Sicily was 85.13%, which is significantly lower than the Italian national average of 94.5%. ## Claims - Requests for diphtheria vaccines have increased by 10% in the 48 hours following the child's death. (corroborated by 12 sources) - The parents of 4-year-old Anna Rosa Bartolotta are under investigation for manslaughter by omission. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The investigation focuses on the failure to provide mandatory diphtheria vaccinations. (corroborated by 3 sources) - An autopsy on the child is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, at the Palermo Policlinico. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The parents reportedly declined vaccinations due to a belief that they caused autism in a relative. (corroborated by 2 sources) - A 4-year-old cousin who tested positive for diphtheria is showing clinical improvement. (single source) - Sicily's hexavalent vaccination rate for children born in 2022 was 85.13% compared to the national average of 94.5%. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-22: Palermo: Parents investigated after 4-year-old dies of suspected diphtheria The death of a 4-year-old from suspected diphtheria in Palermo has led to a manslaughter investigation into her parents for refusing mandatory vaccines and a 10% surge in local vaccine requests. 19 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/palermo-parents-investigated-for-manslaughter-after-child-dies-of-diphtheria ### 2026-08-20: Palermo: Parents investigated after child dies of diphtheria The death of an unvaccinated four-year-old from diphtheria in Palermo has led to a manslaughter investigation into her parents and a surge in local vaccination requests. 88 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/palermo-unvaccinated-four-year-old-dies-of-suspected-diphtheria --- Cite as: Diphtheria death and investigation in Palermo. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/diphtheria-death-and-investigation-in-palermo