Diphtheria is a highly contagious infection of the nose and throat. This acute disease is caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria. The bacteria spreads via small water droplets released when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Diphtheria is common among the elderly and children, but can infect people of all age groups. After the initial infection, the bacteria can spread quickly crossing the respiratory system, towards the nervous system, heart and the skin.
Childhood vaccination has made this infection very rare in America. It is still found in poor countries and among unvaccinated people.
Symptoms
After exposure to the bacteria, symptoms of diphtheria can take two to six days to manifest themselves. By the time a person exhibits diphtheria symptoms they would have already spread the infection to others. Even if the symptoms have been resolved, infected people can remain contagious for nearly a month.
The early symptoms of diphtheria can be nonspecific, and may be mistaken for a throat infection or a cold. A low fever and a sore throat are some of the symptoms. The neck glands can become tender to touch and can get swollen. There may be some coughing, but this is not always the case.
Diphtheria generates a toxin which causes a thick gray membrane to form on the throat. The membrane can be used to distinguish a diphtheria infection from other sore throat cases. The throat and neck can get so swollen that it obstructs breathing, making it difficult.
The symptoms can get more serious when the infection progresses and spreads beyond the throat. If it gets to the heart, a heart failure may occur. Heart failure is an emergency condition which causes an increased heart rate, drop in blood pressure, and cold pale skin. If not immediately treated, it can become fatal in half the cases. Diphtheria can also cause kidney damage if not treated properly.
Risks
Since vaccination has become widespread, most people are not at risk of getting infected with diphtheria. Children under six years of age, and adults above age 60 have an increased risk factor if they are exposed to crowded or unsanitary living conditions.
Treatment
Delays in getting medical attention are common because diphtheria gets confused often with other less serious infections. Most doctors believe people are already vaccinated against diphtheria, so consider diphtheria as an unlikely diagnosis. An infected person needs to be given isolated treatment and hospitalized. This is because the disease is contagious. Close monitoring is necessary because the symptoms can get life-threatening. Only a hospital can provide breathing support likely to be needed by the patient.
Antibiotics are generally prescribed for treatment. Antitoxin medication is given which aims to neutralize the toxins produced by the bacteria. This can be quite effective. Supplies of the antitoxins may need to be specially ordered because most hospitals do not stock them given the rare occurrences of this infection.
Thanks to modern medicine, diphtheria has been nearly wiped out in the civilized world, mostly due to early vaccination. The cause of sore throats is usually something other than diphtheria. For any queries about this infection or vaccination, please consult with your doctor.
