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Diphtheria
What is diphtheria?
Diphtheria is caused by the bacteria
Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Diphtheria can
cause throat and skin infections and was the
most common fatal infectious disease 100 years
ago. The most serious infections are linked to a
toxin that some types of the bacteria produce.
This toxin can spread throughout the body
from the throat or skin to cause inflammation of
nerves, kidneys and heart muscle and can be
fatal.
Since the introduction of a vaccine in the 1940s
the disease is now very rare in countries with
high vaccination rates. However cases still do
occur as 2 people in Australia contracted toxinproducing diphtheria in 2011 from a contact who
had recently travelled to a neighbouring country.
One of the cases, a young, unvaccinated
woman died. It is important that people are
fully immunised from childhood onward and
check their vaccination status before travelling
overseas.
How is it spread?
Centre for Disease Control
May 2016
Diphtheria skin infections are non-distinctive
shallow ulcers and only rarely involve toxinproducing strains. It is very rare for diphtheria
skin infections to spread to involve other parts
of the body.
How is it diagnosed?
Throat infections are diagnosed based on the
signs and symptoms of the patient. The diagnosis
is confirmed by culture of Corynebacterium
diphtheriae from nose, throat or skin swabs. A
test is then performed to determine if it is a toxinproducing strain of diphtheria.
How is it treated?
People suspected of having a throat infection
caused by diphtheria are usually admitted to
hospital for antibiotics and diphtheria anti-toxin.
Uncomplicated skin infections caused by non
toxin-producing diphtheria can be treated with
antibiotics alone.
How is it prevented?
Diphtheria is spread from person to person by
inhaling respiratory secretions from infected
people and sometimes by direct contact with
discharges from lesions of infected people.
A diphtheria-containing vaccine is given routinely:
What is the infectious period?
• to adults under 50 years of age who are
planning on travelling overseas if a booster
has not been given in the last 10 years
A person with diphtheria is usually infectious
for about 2 to 4 weeks. A person becomes noninfectious after receiving appropriate antibiotic
therapy.
What are the signs and
symptoms?
Throat infections usually start gradually with
fever and a sore throat. Toxin production by the
bacteria causes a membrane to form over the
back of the throat and tonsils. This membrane
has a characteristic grey appearance and it
can cause severe swelling of the throat making
it difficult to breathe. There is often associated
swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck.
• at 2, 4 and 6 months of age
• as a booster at 18 months, 4 years and 15
years
• at age 50 if a booster has not been given in
the last 10 years.
Diphtheria vaccination is always given as
a diphtheria-tetanus or diphtheria-tetanuspertussis (whooping cough) combination
vaccine. Vaccination is highly effective at
preventing diphtheria infection.
Close contacts of patients with toxin-producing
diphtheria should be monitored, given advice and
provided with preventive antibiotics to minimise
the chance of becoming unwell with diphtheria.
A booster vaccine should be offered if indicated.
www.nt.gov.au/health
Diphtheria
CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL
For more information contact your nearest
Centre for Disease Control
Alice Springs 8951 7548
Darwin 8922 8804 Katherine 8973 9049
Nhulunbuy 8987 0282 Tennant Creek 8962 4259
or http//www.nt.gov.au/health/cdc/cdc.shtm
www.nt.gov.au/health
Diphtheria