Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a deadly infectious disease, but it is entirely preventable through vaccination. Throughout history, diphtheria has caused devastating epidemics worldwide. Children are generally the most vulnerable. This contagious bacterial infection primarily affects the nose and throat, and sometimes the skin.
Diphtheria vaccines became available in the late 1940s in Europe and North America. However, before the success of the vaccination program, diphtheria was widespread and a leading cause of death among children.
Dangerous strains of diphtheria still circulate in all regions of the world, and the disease can reappear if the overall immunity of a population decreases, as was the case in Eastern Europe in the 1990s.
Symptoms:
- Extreme fatigue
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
When the bacteria that cause diphtheria enters and attaches to the lining of the respiratory system, it produces a poison (toxin). The poison destroys healthy tissue in the respiratory system. After two or three days, the dead tissue forms a sticky gray coating that can accumulate in the throat or nose, making breathing and swallowing very difficult.
The poison can also enter the bloodstream and damage the heart, kidneys, and nerves.
The incubation period for diphtheria: 1 to 5 days (maximum 10 days).
Description and Routes of Transmission
Diphtheria is an infection caused by a bacterium. Transmission occurs through inhalation of respiratory droplets expelled by infected individuals (those who are ill or asymptomatic carriers), through contact with materials contaminated by their respiratory secretions, or via diphtheria skin lesions.
The bacterium secretes a toxin responsible for the severe local and systemic manifestations of diphtheria. Death can occur from respiratory obstruction or result from systemic, myocardial, and neurological damage caused by the toxin.
Cases remain contagious for up to 8 weeks after the onset of infection; however, antibiotic therapy can reduce the contagious period to 6 days.
Prevention and Treatment
Vaccination is the key element in the prevention and control of diphtheria. It protects individuals from severe forms of the disease (fewer and less severe symptoms) but does not prevent the spread of the bacterium. The disease does not confer protective immunity, and vaccination is also part of the treatment plan.
