Multivariate analysis revealed 45% increased odds of
women
being susceptible to diphtheria. Women who had not received diphtheria toxoid vaccination during the previous 10 years had four-fold increased odds of being susceptible to diphtheria toxin compared with unvaccinated men.
Where is diphtheria most common?
Since 2016, respiratory diphtheria outbreaks have occurred in
Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Venezuela, Haiti, South Africa, and Yemen
. Cutaneous diphtheria is common in tropical countries. Respiratory and cutaneous diphtheria have been reported in travelers, though rarely.
Who is most affected by diphtheria?
Children under 5 and adults over 60 years old
are particularly at risk for getting it. People living in crowded or unclean conditions, those who aren’t well nourished, and children and adults who don’t have up-to-date immunizations are also at risk.
Which countries still have diphtheria?
- Asia.
- the South Pacific.
- the Middle East.
- eastern Europe.
- the Caribbean.
How common is diphtheria in 2020?
Among confirmed cases, 58 cases including 17 deaths had symptom onset in 2016, 786 cases including 103 deaths in 2017, 775 cases including 151 deaths in 2018, 166 cases including 21 deaths in 2019, and
5 cases including 2 deaths
in 2020.
Can diphtheria be cured?
Before antibiotics were available, diphtheria was a common illness in young children. Today,
the disease is not only treatable but also preventable with a vaccine
. The diphtheria vaccine is usually combined with vaccines for tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis).
Which body part is affected by diphtheria?
Diphtheria can infect
the respiratory tract
(parts of the body involved in breathing) and skin. In the respiratory tract, it causes a thick, gray coating to build up in the throat or nose.
What is the main cause of diphtheria?
Diphtheria is a
serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae
that make a toxin (poison). It is the toxin that can cause people to get very sick. Diphtheria bacteria spread from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets, like from coughing or sneezing.
What diphtheria smells like?
Diphtheria is caused by bacterial infection with Corynebacterium diphtheria. Diphtheria usually affects the larynx or the lower and upper respiratory tracts and causes a sore throat. Some patients with diphtheria have a sickening,
sweetish or putrid odour
in their breath (19).
What are the 5 types of diphtheria?
- classical respiratory diphtheria.
- laryngeal diphtheria.
- nasal diphtheria and.
- cutaneous diphtheria (skin lesions).
When was the last case of diphtheria in the United States?
Diphtheria is rare in the United States, with only two cases reported between 2004 and
2015
. In recent years, diphtheria has been in the headlines in three countries where the disease had been virtually eliminated — Venezuela, Yemen and Bangladesh.
What is the putrid throat illness?
Medical Definition of Putrid throat
Putrid throat: a historic term for
a severely inflamed throat, with tissue destruction, and fetid odor
, often due to strep throat (streptococcal pharyngitis) or diphtheria.
What is black diphtheria?
The
throat infection
causes a gray to black, tough, fiber-like covering, which can block your airways. In some cases, diphtheria infects your skin first and causes skin lesions. Once you are infected, the bacteria make dangerous substances called toxins.
How can diphtheria be prevented?
Vaccination
.
Keeping up to date with
recommended vaccines is the best way to prevent diphtheria. In the United States, there are four vaccines used to prevent diphtheria: DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td. Each of these vaccines prevents diphtheria and tetanus; DTaP and Tdap also help prevent pertussis (whooping cough).
Can you still get diphtheria if vaccinated?
You cannot get diphtheria from the vaccine
. FACT: Diphtheria can be prevented with safe and effective vaccines. FACT: You cannot get diphtheria from the vaccine. infected person’s nose, throat, eyes and/or skin lesions.
How was diphtheria treated in the 1900’s?
Beginning in the early 1900s,
prophylaxis was attempted with combinations of toxin and antitoxin
. Diphtheria toxoid was developed in the early 1920s but was not widely used until the early 1930s.
