Diphtheria

**Diphtheria** be an infection wey be caused by de bacterium *Corynebacterium diphtheriae*. Chaw infections be asymptomatic anaa wey e get a mild clinical course, buh insyd sam outbreaks, de mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs den symptoms fi vary from mild to severe, den usually dey start two to five days after exposure. Symptoms often dey develop gradually, beginning plus a sore throat den fever. Insyd severe cases, a grey anaa white patch dey develop insyd de throat dem call a pseudomembrane. Dis tough, leathery membrane slowly dey block de airway. Starting plus a barking cough similar to wat be observed insyd croup, de neck sanso fi swell, insyd part secof to de enlargement of de facial lymph nodes. De pseudomembrane fi grow to cover a wide area of de throat wey dey lead to strangulation den death. Diphtheria sanso fi involve de skin, eyes, anaa genitals, den fi cause complications, wey dey include myocarditis (wich insyd einself fi result in an abnormal heart rate), inflammation of nerves (wich fi result in paralysis), kidney problems, den bleeding problems secof low levels of platelets.

Diphtheria usually be spread between people by direct contact, thru de air, or thru contact plus contaminated objects. Asymptomatic transmission den chronic infection sanso be possible. Different strains of *C.&nbsp;diphtheriae* be de main cause insyd de variability of lethality. De lethality den symptoms demaselves be caused by de exotoxin wey be produced by de bacteria. Diagnosis often fi be made based on de appearance of de throat plus confirmation by microbiological culture. Previous infection no fi protect against reinfection.

A diphtheria vaccine be effective for prevention, wey e be available insyd a number of formulations. Three anaa four doses, dem give along plus tetanus vaccine den pertussis vaccine, be recommended during kiddie time. Further doses of de diphtheria–tetanus vaccine be recommended every ten years. Protection fi be verified by measuring de antitoxin level insyd de blood. Diphtheria fi be prevented insyd those exposed, as well as dem treat plus de antibiotics erythromycin anaa benzylpenicillin. Insyd severe cases a tracheotomy fi be needed to open de airway.

Insyd 2015, na 4,500 cases be officially reported worldwide, down from nearly 100,000 insyd 1980. Na dem believe about a million cases a year occur before de 1980s. Diphtheria currently dey occur most often insyd sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, den Indonesia. Insyd 2015, na e result in 2,100 deaths, down from 8,000 deaths insyd 1990. Insyd areas wer e still be common, kiddies be most affected. E be rare insyd de developed world secof widespread vaccination, buh fi re-emerge if vaccination rates decrease. Insyd de United States, na dem report 57 cases between 1980 den 2004. Death dey occur insyd 5–10% of those wey be diagnosed. Na dem first describe de disease insyd de 5th century BC by Hippocrates. Na dem identify de bacterium insyd 1882 by Edwin Klebs.

## References


## Read further
* Hammonds, Evelynn Maxine. *Childhood's Deadly Scourge: The Campaign to Control Diphtheria in New York City, 1880–1930* (1999)
** Hammonds, Evelynn Maxine. *The search for perfect control: A social history of diphtheria, 1880–1930* (PhD dissertation, Harvard University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 1993. 9318671).
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* "Antitoxin dars 1735 and 1740." *The William and Mary Quarterly*, 3rd Ser., Vol 6, No 2. p.&nbsp;338.
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## External links

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* [Mapping diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine coverage in Africa, 2000–2016: a spatial and temporal modelling study](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30226-0/fulltext)