Diphtheria: Symptoms and Treatment

Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheria. In 1921 206,000 cases of diphtheria were noted in the USA. With the advent of a vaccine for this disease the incidence of this disease has plummeted significantly. In the last decade less than five cases of diphtheria have been reported to CDC.

Causes for Diphtheria

Diphtheria is caused by a bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheria. This bacteria is transmitted from one person to another in the form of droplets in the air, formed due to coughing and sneezing. Rarely diphtheria can be acquired by touching an object or skin with the bacteria on it.

Symptoms of Diphtheria

The bacteria causing diphtheria gets attached to the lining of the upper respiratory tract. Here is produces a toxin and causes the destruction of the surrounding tissue. Within two or three days of infection, the dead tissue forms a greyish colour membrane covering the tonsils, throat, voice box; making breathing very difficult. The toxin produced leads to:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Swelling in the neck
• Weakness

Diagnosis of Diphtheria

Diphtheria is diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms. Your doctor may opt to confirm the diagnosis by sending a sample to a microbiology lab for culture. The sample is taken from the back of the throat by brushing it with a sterile swab. Your doctor will not wait for the lab results to start the medications because of the high mortality rate seen in untreated patients.

Complications of Diphtheria

It is imperative that diphtheria be treated as soon as possible. Without treatment nearly fifty percent patients die. Even with treatment one in ten patient succumbs to the disease. The complications seen following diphtheria re either due to the effect of the toxin, or due to the growth of the bacteria itself in an organ. The complications are:

• Myocarditis: inflammation and damage to muscle in the heart
• Polyneuropathy: due to damage to nerves
• Difficulty in breathing
• Pneumonia
• Paralysis.

Treatment of Diphtheria

Treatment of diphtheria can be divided into two parts. 

• Treatment to make sure the toxin produced by the bacteria doesn’t cause harm: an antitoxin is administered to prevent damage by toxin
• Prevent the growth and kill bacteria causing the disease: antibiotics are administered to help the body fight the bacteria.

Individuals with diphtheria are usually kept in isolation for 48 hours after the antibiotics are started, to prevent transmission.

It is important to realise that diphtheria is a preventable disease. Ensuring that your child gets the vaccine for this disease leads to protection from this dangerous disease.

Vaccination for Diphtheria

The vaccine for diphtheria is generally administered with the vaccine for tetanus and pertussis. The schedule for vaccination is:

• Children below the age of seven are advised to get the vaccine for diphtheria at 2,4,6 months followed by a vaccine between the age of 15 and 18, and finally one at 4 years.
• Preteens are advised to get a booster dose between age 11-12.
• Adults are advised to get a shot every 10 years for continuous protection from this disease.

Resources

• www.cdc.gov