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DIPHTERIE
•A thick, gray membrane covering your throat
and tonsils
•A sore throat and hoarseness
•Swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes) in your
neck
•Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
•Nasal discharge
•Fever and chills
•Malaise
In some people, infection with diphtheriacausing bacteria causes only a mild illness — or
no obvious signs and symptoms at all. Infected
people who remain unaware of their illness are
known as carriers of diphtheria, because they
can spread the infection without being sick
themselves.
Skin (cutaneous) diphtheria
A second type of diphtheria can affect the skin,
causing the typical pain, redness and swelling
associated with other bacterial skin infections.
Ulcers covered by a gray membrane also may
develop in cutaneous diphtheria.
Although it's more common in tropical
climates, cutaneous diphtheria also occurs in
the United States, particularly among people
with poor hygiene who live in crowded
conditions.
When to see a doctor
Call your family doctor immediately if you or
your child has been exposed to someone with
diphtheria. If you're not sure whether your child
has been vaccinated against diphtheria,
schedule an appointment. Make sure your own
immunizations are current.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection
usually affecting the mucous membranes of
your nose and throat. Diphtheria typically
causes a sore throat, fever, swollen glands and
weakness. But the hallmark sign is a sheet of
thick, gray material covering the back of your
throat, which can block your airway, causing
you to struggle for breath.
Diphtheria is extremely rare in the United States
and other developed countries, thanks to
widespread vaccination against the disease.
Medications are available to treat diphtheria.
However, in advanced stages, diphtheria can
damage your heart, kidneys and nervous system.
Even with treatment, diphtheria can be deadly
— up to 3 percent of people who get diphtheria
die of it. The rate is higher for children under 15.
People who are at increased risk of contracting
diphtheria include:
•Children and adults who don't have up-to-date
immunizations
•People living in crowded or unsanitary conditions
•Anyone who travels to an area where diphtheria is
endemic
•Diphtheria rarely occurs in the United States and
Europe, where health officials have been
vaccinating children against the condition for
decades.
•However, diphtheria is still common in developing
countries where immunization rates are low.
he bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae
causes diphtheria. Usually C. diphtheriae
multiply on or near the surface of the mucous
membranes of the throat. C. diphtheriae
spreads via three routes:
1. Airborne droplets. When an infected person's
sneeze or cough releases a mist of contaminated
droplets, people nearby may inhale C.
diphtheriae. Diphtheria spreads efficiently this
way, particularly in crowded conditions.
2. Contaminated personal items. People
occasionally catch diphtheria from handling an
infected person's used tissues, drinking from
the person's unwashed glass, or coming into
similarly close contact with other items on
which bacteria-laden secretions may be
deposited.
3. Contaminated household items. In rare
cases, diphtheria spreads on shared household
items, such as towels or toys.
You can also come in contact with diphtheriacausing bacteria by touching an infected
wound.
Left untreated, diphtheria can lead to:
Breathing problems. Diphtheria-causing
bacteria may produce a toxin. This toxin
damages tissue in the immediate area of
infection — usually, the nose and throat. At
that site, the infection produces a tough, graycolored membrane composed of dead cells,
bacteria and other substances. This membrane
can obstruct breathing.
A. Heart damage.
The diphtheria toxin may spread through your
bloodstream and damage other tissues in your
body, such as your heart muscle, causing such
complications as inflammation of the heart
muscle (myocarditis). Heart damage from
myocarditis may be slight, showing up as minor
abnormalities on an electrocardiogram, or
severe, leading to congestive heart failure and
sudden death.
B. Nerve damage.
The toxin can also cause nerve damage. Typical
targets are nerves to the throat, where poor
nerve conduction may cause difficulty
swallowing. Nerves to the arms and legs also may
become inflamed, causing muscle weakness. If C.
diphtheria toxin damages the nerves that help
control muscles used in breathing, these muscles
may become paralyzed. Respiration may then
become impossible without a respirator or
another device to assist with breathing.
With treatment, most people with diphtheria
survive these
With treatment, most people with diphtheria
survive these complications, but recovery is often
slow. Diphtheria is fatal in as many as 3 percent of
those who get the disease.
Laboratory criteria
Isolation of Corynebacterium diphtheriae from a
gram stain or throat culture from a clinical
specimen, or
Histopathologic diagnosis of diphtheria by a stain
called "Albert's Stain".