Diphtheria: Types, Symptoms, Treatment

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that happens quickly and spreads easily, affecting a person's throat and nose. Children under the age of five years and adults over the age of sixty are at particular risk of Diphtheria infection, as well as people who live in unclean and crowded conditions, undernourished people, and adults and children who do not have current immunizations.

Main Content

In America and Europe, Diphtheria is rare, although it is still common in developing nations where immunizations are not provided routinely. In 1993 and 1994, more than forty-thousand cases of the infection were reported in a serious outbreak in countries of the former Soviet Union.

The Diphtheria infection is extremely contagious and easily passed from an infected person to other people via coughing, sneezing, or even laughing. The infection can spread to others who touch dishes or tissues that have been used by a person that is infected. A person infected with Diphtheria can infect others for up to a month, despite experiencing symptoms or not. The amount of time it takes someone to become infected after exposure to Diphtheria is between two and four days, although it can range from one to six days.

Forms of Diphtheria

One form of Diphtheria is respiratory, presenting the person who has become infected with a sore throat and a low-grade fever, as well as a membrane that is attached to their tonsils, pharynx, or nose. Swelling of the neck is commonly something else people experience with this infection. The infection may lead to severe difficulties with breathing, blood disorders, heart failure, coma, or death.

Diphtheria is very rare in the United States because of widespread immunizations. Most of the sporadic cases of Diphtheria that do appear in America occur among un-vaccinated people, particularly in persons who have traveled to areas where the infection is common and in persons who come in close contact with travelers to these areas.

Another form of Diphtheria is the cutaneous, or skin form. Cutaneous Diphtheria is also rare in America and is found among persons who have poor hygiene or live in crowded conditions. Skin infections with Diphtheria are common in tropical countries; they are more contagious than respiratory Diphtheria in these nations. The wounds the infection causes are marked by sores, a scaling rash, or blisters that can appear anywhere on the infected person's body.

Symptoms of Diphtheria

The early stages of Diphtheria might find the infected person mistaking the symptoms they are experiencing for a bad sore throat. A low-grade fever and swollen neck glands are additional symptoms people may experience. The toxin produced by the bacteria may cause a thick coating in the infected person's throat, nose, or airway. The coating is commonly a fuzzy black or gray color, potentially causing breathing difficulties and trouble swallowing. The formation of this coating in the person's throat, nose, or airway differentiates Diphtheria from other infections like strep throat that can cause a sore throat.

Progression of the Diphtheria infection can find an infected person experiencing difficulty with swallowing or breathing. They may complain of doubling their vision and have slurred speech. The person may show signs of going into shock, with pale skin that is cold, a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and an anxious appearance.

People with the Diphtheria infection that has progressed beyond a throat infection find that the toxin spreads through their bloodstream. When this happens, it may lead to potentially life-threatening complications which affect organs in their body, such as their kidneys or heart. The toxins released to affect the heart's ability to pump blood or the kidney's ability to clear wastes. The toxin may cause damage to nerves, leading to paralysis. Approximately forty to fifty percent of people who do not receive treatment perish from the infection.

Treatment of Diphtheria

Both children and adults are treated for Diphtheria in the hospital. A throat culture confirms a diagnosis. An infected person receives an anti-toxin through intravenous injections that neutralize the Diphtheria toxin circulating through the body. They are also administered antibiotics to kill any remaining Diphtheria bacteria.

Persons with an advanced Diphtheria infection might need a ventilator to assist them with breathing. If the infection has spread to their kidneys, heart, or nervous system, they may require oxygen, intravenous fluids, or heart medications. Because people with Diphtheria are infectious, they must be kept in isolation. Family members, friends, and people who are either young or elderly must all be kept from contacting the infected person.

Upon diagnosing someone with Diphtheria, a doctor has to notify the health department and take steps to treat everyone in the household who may have been exposed to the infection. Doing so includes assessing the involved person's immune status, taking throat cultures, administering booster doses of the Diphtheria vaccine, and administering antibiotics as a precautionary measure.

Hospitalization and quick intervention permit most people infected with Diphtheria to recover. Once the anti-toxin and antibiotics have had time to take effect, persons with Diphtheria need to rest in bed for four to six weeks or until they fully recover. Bed rest is essential for people whose heart is affected by the infection. One of the complications of Diphtheria is 'Myocarditis,' or inflammation of the heart muscle. Once a person has recovered from Diphtheria, they should receive a full course of the Diphtheria vaccine to prevent a recurrence of the infection.

It is essential to call a doctor immediately if you or your child has symptoms of Diphtheria, if you observe these symptoms in another person, or if you or someone you know has been exposed to the infection. Bear in mind that most throat infections are not Diphtheria, particularly in countries with regular immunizations against the infection like America. If you are unsure whether you or your child have been vaccinated against Diphtheria, make an appointment with a doctor to receive it.

In 2005 a new vaccine was approved as a single booster vaccination for adolescents and adults called 'Tdap.' The Diphtheria vaccine for children is combined with tetanus and acellular pertussis in a triple vaccine called 'DTaP.' The best way to prevent a Diphtheria infection is through vaccination.

Author Credentials: Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursing Disability Studies. As a CNA Thomas has providing care for people with all forms of disabilities. Explore Thomas' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.