Causes of Diphtheria

Diphtheria Causes: Book Excerpts

• Causes and incidence - Diphtheria
• Diphtheria - pathophysiology - Diphtheria

What causes Diphtheria?

Causes: Diphtheria: Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria

Related information on causes of Diphtheria:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Diphtheria may be found in:

• Contagiousness for Diphtheria
• Hidden causes of Diphtheria

Causes of Diphtheria: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Diphtheria.

Diphtheria: Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Transmission usually occurs through intimate contact or by airborne respiratory droplets from asymptomatic carriers or convalescing patients. Many more people carry this disease than contract active infection. Diphtheria is more prevalent during the colder months because of closer person-to-person indoor contact, however it may be contracted at any time during the year.

Thanks to effective immunization, diphtheria is rare in many parts of the world, including the United States. Since 1972, the incidence of cutaneous diphtheria has been increasing, especially in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest, in areas where crowding and poor hygienic conditions prevail. Most victims are children younger than age 15; about 10% of patients die.

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Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Diphtheria: Diphtheria - pathophysiology
(The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult)

• The initial entry site for C. diphtheriae is via airborne respiratory droplets, typically the nose or mouth but occasionally the ocular surface, genital mucous membranes, or pre-existing skin lesions.
• Following 2–4 days of incubation at one of these sites, the bacterium elaborates toxin.
• Locally, the toxin induces formation of a necrotic coagulation of the mucous membranes (pseudomembrane) with underlying tissue edema; respiratory compromise may ensue.
• Elaborated exotoxin may also have profound effects on the heart, nerves, and kidneys in the form of myocarditis, demyelination, and tubular necrosis, respectively.

Diphtheria - etiology

C. diphtheriae, a Gram-positive pleomorphic bacillus

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Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008

 » Next page: Symptoms of Diphtheria

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