what country does diptheria occur in
1 Respiratory diphtheria is a rare bacterial infection with symptoms occurring 2-5 days after exposure. 2  Symptoms include a sore throat, croupy cough, low-grade fever, runny nose, breathing problems and a fiber like coating on the tonsils, pharynx, or inside of nose.ases of diphtheria are so rare in both the US and other developed nations that, unless you are traveling to an impoverished country or a location of a natural disaster that has compromised the sanitation infrastructure, the danger of you or child getting diphtheria is very remote.