diphtheria
Sign in to saveDiphtheria 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
AI overview
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that usually starts with a sore throat and fever, but can progress to form a dangerous membrane in the throat that blocks the airway. While many cases are mild or symptom-free, severe cases can be life-threatening, with mortality rates reaching around 10% in some outbreaks.
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Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Diphtheria
- Medical condition (new).image
- Dirty white pseudomembrane classically seen in diphtheria 2013-07-06 11-07.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- An adherent, dense, grey pseudomembrane covering the tonsils is classically seen in diphtheria.
- Medical condition (new).field
- Infectious disease
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Sore throat, fever, barking cough
- Medical condition (new).onset
- 2–5 days post-exposure
- Medical condition (new).complications
- Myocarditis, Peripheral neuropathy, Proteinuria
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Corynebacterium diphtheriae (spread by direct contact and through the air)
- Medical condition (new).diagnosis
- Examination of throat, culture
- Medical condition (new).prevention
- Diphtheria vaccine
- Medical condition (new).treatment
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- {{anchor|diphtheritic croup|Diphtheritic croup|Croup|croup|Diphthery croup|diphthery croup}} Diphtheritic croup
- Transmission
- Mechanism
- Diagnosis
- Laboratory criteria
- Toxin demonstration
- Clinical criteria
- Case classification
- Prevention
- Treatment
- Epidemiology
- History
- Discovery and science
- List of epidemics
- Notable deaths
- References
- Further reading
- External links
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 also swell, in part due to the enlargement of the facial lymph nodes. The pseudomembrane can grow to cover a wide area of the throat leading to strangulation and death. Diphtheria can also involve the skin, eyes, or genitals, and can cause complications, including myocarditis (which in itself can result in an abnormal heart rate), inflammation of nerves (which can result in paralysis), kidney problems, and bleeding problems due to low levels of platelets.
Diphtheria is usually spread between people by direct contact, through the air, or through contact with contaminated objects. Asymptomatic transmission and chronic infection are also possible. Different strains of C. diphtheriae are the main cause in the variability of lethality. The lethality and symptoms themselves are caused by the exotoxin produced by the bacteria. Diagnosis can often be made based on the appearance of the throat with confirmation by microbiological culture. Previous infection may not protect against reinfection.