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The Disease Diphtheria
used to be a major cause of childhood illness and death. Through the 1920's
about 150,000 people got diphtheria each year in the United States and
about 15,000 of them died. The word diphtheria struck fear into the hearts
of parents in those days, but today there are only a few cases a year.
This change is due largely to our parents and grandparents, who got their
children immunized. Diphtheria
is a disease caused by bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
These bacteria live in the mouth, throat and nose of an infected person,
and are easily spread to others through coughing or sneezing. Some people
with diphtheria might not even seem ill, but they can still spread the
disease. Two to four days after a child is exposed to diphtheria, he or she might get a sore throat, a slight fever, and chills. If diphtheria is not properly diagnosed and treated, it can then produce a powerful toxin (poison), which spreads throughout the body causing serious complications such as heart failure or paralysis. Sometimes a thick membrane forms in a child's throat, making it hard to swallow or even breathe. About 1 person out of every 10 who get diphtheria dies from it. A child with diphtheria is contagious (can spread the disease to others) for about 2 to 4 weeks. U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES |