Causes and Spread to Others. Diphtheria bacteria usually spread from person to person through respiratory droplets
What is the source of the diphtheria toxin?
Diphtheria toxin (DT) is one of the most extensively studied bacterial toxins with intracellular action. It is produced by
toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae
and is responsible for the symptoms of diphtheria. The toxin was isolated in 1888.
Where does Corynebacterium come from?
Habitat. Corynebacterium species occur commonly in
nature in soil, water, plants, and food products
. The nondiphtheiroid Corynebacterium species can even be found in the mucosa and normal skin flora of humans and animals.
How was diphtheria made?
Diphtheria is an acute, bacterial disease caused
by toxin-producing strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae
. The name of the disease is derived from the Greek diphthera, meaning ‘leather hide.
Where is Corynebacterium diphtheria found?
Corynebacterium diphtheriae infects
the nasopharynx or skin
. Toxigenic strains secrete a potent exotoxin which may cause diphtheria. The symptoms of diphtheria include pharyngitis, fever, swelling of the neck or area surrounding the skin lesion. Diphtheritic lesions are covered by a pseudomembrane.
Where is diphtheria most commonly found?
Endemic in many countries in
Asia
, the South Pacific, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Since 2016, respiratory diphtheria outbreaks have occurred in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Venezuela, Haiti, South Africa, and Yemen.
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 part of the human body does Corynebacterium colonize?
C. diphtheriae usually colonize a local lesion in
the upper respiratory tract
(although cutaneous diphtheria can occur as well) where the toxin secreted by the bacteria cases necrotic injury to epithelial cells.
What does Corynebacterium do to the body?
Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae that make toxin (poison). It can lead to
difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, and even death
. CDC recommends vaccines for infants, children, teens, and adults to prevent diphtheria.
Is Corynebacterium a normal flora?
Corynebacterium jeikeium is
considered part of the normal skin flora
, similar to S. epidermidis. This bacterium species resides on the skin of most humans and is commonly cultured from hospitalized patients.
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).
Can you catch diphtheria from animals?
It is well known that
diphtheria may be transmitted by domestic animals by way of fur
, particularly by animals coming in close contact with people during attacks of diphtheria. Having traced the source of infection to the throat of a dog, I am prompted to report the following cases: Case 1. —History.
What diphtheria smells like?
Infectious diseases were known by their characteristics odors–scrofula as smelling like stale beer; typhoid, like freshly baked brown bread; rubella, like plucked feathers; and diphtheria, as
“sweetish
.” Anosmics might be banned from medical school.
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).
What is another name for diphtheria?
Over the period of time, it was called Microsporon diphtheriticum, Bacillus diphtheriae, and Mycobacterium diphtheriae. Current nomenclature is
Corynebacterium diphtheriae
.
How common is diphtheria now?
In the 1920s, there were between 100,000 and 200,000 cases of diphtheria each year with 13,000–15,000 deaths. Because of widespread immu- nization and better living conditions,
diphtheria is now rare in the United States
(during 2004–2017, state health departments reported 2 cases of diphtheria in the United States).
