Diphtheria – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment – Diligent IAS 25/07/2019 – Posted in: Daily News
DIPTHERIA
For: Preliminary & Mains
Topics covered: Diptheria – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
News Flash
The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital has confirmed the outbreak of diphtheria at Kadambur Hill in Erode district.
Diphtheria
- Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria.
- It primarily infects the throat and upper airways, and produces a toxin affecting other organs.
- The main characteristics are sore throat, low fever and swollen glands in the neck.
- In severe cases, the toxin may, cause myocarditis or peripheral neuropathy.
- The diphtheria toxin causes a membrane of dead tissue to build up over the throat and tonsils.
- The disease is spread through direct physical contact.
- It can also be spread from breathing in the aerosolized secretions from coughs or sneezes of infected individuals.
Treatment
- Vaccination against diphtheria has reduced the mortality and morbidity of diphtheria.
- Treatment involves administering diphtheria antitoxin to neutralize the effects of the toxin, as well as antibiotics to kill the bacteria.
- Diphtheria vaccine is a bacterial toxoid, ie. a toxin whose toxicity has been inactivated.
- The vaccine is normally given in combination with other vaccines as DTwP/DTaP vaccine or pentavalent vaccine.
- For adolescents and adults the diphtheria toxoid is frequently combined with tetanus toxoid in lower concentration (Td vaccine).
- WHO recommends a 3-dose primary vaccination series with diphtheria containing vaccine followed by 3 booster doses.
- Diphtheria is still a significant child health problem in countries with poor EPI coverage.
- Diphtheria is fatal in 5 – 10% of cases, with a higher mortality rate in young children.
Background
- 1613, Spain experienced an epidemic of diphtheria.
- 1735, a diphtheria epidemic swept through New England.
- 1856, Victor Fourgeaud described an epidemic of diphtheria in California.
- 1975, an outbreak of cutaneous diphtheria in Seattle, Washington, was reported.
- 1994, the Russian Federation had 39,703 diphtheria cases.
- 2013, three children died of diphtheria in Hyderabad, India.
- In November and December 2017, an outbreak of diphtheria occurred in Indonesia.
Source: Indian Express and WHO
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