Diphtheria

Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by a toxin Loeffler bacillus (Corynebacterium diphtheriae). The most common is diphtheria pharynx, where toxins of bacilli destroy healthy tissue in the upper throat around the tonsils, leading to the formation of a false membrane in the gray color of the mucosa of the same. Symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing and swallowing. Infection occurs microdroplets esparsen through which the air by sneezing or coughing of the patient. When compounded, Diphtheria is a serious disease and can cause inflammation of the myocardium (myocarditis) and damage to the nervous system.


The incubation period is two to seven days. Children are loss of appetite, fever and prostration appears. Vomiting sometimes occur. Face flushed and children over the voice call on breathing, dull noise through the mouth. Tongue dry and covered with fur, to examine the mouth and throat, redness warned intense pharyngeal mucosa and the formation of gray, arranged in spots or bands in the tonsils, quickly assembled and appear as embedded in the mucosa. Pharyngeal lesions develop in a few days. At the beginning of oral disease almost beyond 39 ° and, in many cases, after one week and disappear plaque and produces a gray throat cleared, no internal organ changes occur. However, many may have serious heart complications and nervous system.

treatment 
In severe cases, hospitalization is required of patients treated with diphtheria antitoxin and antibiotics.