Diphtheria

Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs and symptoms may vary from mild to severe, and usually start two to five days after exposure. Symptoms often develop gradually, beginning with a sore throat and fever. In severe cases, a grey or white patch develops in the throat called a pseudomembrane. This tough, leathery membrane slowly blocks the airway. Starting with a barking cough similar to what is observed in croup, the neck may

German physiologist who received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1901 for his discovery of a diphtheria antitoxin

species of bacterium

Balto ( – March 14, 1933) was a Siberian Husky and sled dog belonging to musher and breeder Leonhard Seppala. He achieved fame when he was part of a team of sled dogs driven by Gunnar Kaasen on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nenana, Alaska, by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease. Credited as the leader of the team, Balto's celebrity status, and that of Kaasen's, resulted in a two-reel motion picture, a statue in Central Park, and a nationwide tour on the vaudeville circuit

vaccine against Corynebacterium diphtheriae, the bacterium that causes diphtheria

vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus

German bacteriologist (1852–1915)

Swiss biologist (1834-1913)

sled dog relay bringing antitoxin to Nome, Alaska

sled dog who ran in the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska

exotoxin

medication made up of antibodies

Hungarian doctor (1877–1967)

Norwegian-American musher

pharmaceutical drug

single vaccine protecting against six individual diseases

test to determine susceptibility to diphtheria

Historic trail in Alaska

Swiss biologist (1870-1943)

microbiological method regarding toxigenicity

combination vaccine