About Diphtheria

Kyungmin
Jun 9, 2022
2 min read

Diphtheria is an infectious disease that causes many children’s deaths around the world. In 2018, countries reported more than 16,000 cases of diphtheria to the World Health Organization (WHO).

IMG Credit: PedVaccine

Diphtheria is an extreme bacterial infection that usually affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. Diphtheria is quite rare in the United States and other developed countries, thanks to worldwide vaccination against the disease. But many countries with less health care or vaccine options are still struggling with high rates of diphtheria.

Causes

Diphtheria is caused by a bacterial strain called Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The poison made by this bacteria is what causes people to get very sick. The disease spreads from person to person, mostly through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. People can also get sick or have the disease from touching open sores or ulcers.

IMG Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Effects (Symptoms)

1. Respiratory diphtheria

For patients with respiratory diphtheria, a thick, gray membrane covers their throats and tonsils. Resulting symptoms include sore throat with an inferior fever and a membrane stuck to the tonsils, pharynx, or nose. The patient may experience hoarseness in the throat. Infection can also lead to difficult breathing, heart failure, paralysis, and even death.

2. Skin Diphtheria (Cutaneous diphtheria)

Cutaneous diphtheria bothers people in tropical countries as an endemic. It is the most common non-respiratory clinical manifestation of infection, which is a result of toxigenic isolates of C. diphtheria. The specification of this diphtheria is that it can cause shallow skin ulcers, which can occur anywhere on the body and are usually chronic.

Treatments

For treating diphtheria, diphtheria antitoxin can be used to stop the toxin (poison) made by the bacteria from damaging the body. In fact, the treatment is very important for respiratory diphtheria infections, but it is sometimes used for skin diphtheria infections as well. Antibiotics can also be used to kill and get rid of the bacteria.